The Companion Project
by 8Clarify8
Summary: When Kagome applied to Ouran Academy, she didn't have high hopes for herself. So when she finds out that she's been accepted she's over the moon and beyond the stars. Though… Just somethings aren't going her way.
1. Secrets on the fly!

**_The Companion Project_**

 ** _IY/OHSHC_**

 ** _Kagome/ (Undecided)_**

 ** _Rating: T/M_**

 ** _Summary:_** When Kagome applied to Ouran Acedamy, she didn't have high hopes for herself. So when she finds out that she's been accepted she's over the moon and beyond the stars. Though… Just somethings aren't going her way. Like… Her middle school friends becoming jealous of her; her new school uniform being torn to pieces; being mugged on the train on her way to school…. Some things even the Shikon Miko can't handle on her own.

 ** _Disclaimer: I, CMH, EveryonesWorstNight, 8Clarify8, MelodyCrossover, do not- under ANY circumstance- own the rights to these two animes/mangas. I do not own the characters._**

 ** _The Companion Project_**

 ** _Chapter 1:_**

"You didn't," Yuka murmured from around her straw at the café closest to Kagome's home. The girl had her head bowed, not even touching her soft drink or the food in front of her. "Kagome…"

"How could you do that behind our back, Kagome?!" Eri demanded, slamming her hands on the table and lifting herself up. "Now you're going to be surrounded by all those rich kids with their fancy houses, pedigrees, and leaving us behind? No fair!" She whined, sitting down in a huff and crossing her arms.

"I didn't think I would actually get in…" Kagome mumbled shyly, rubbing the back of her neck as she picked her drink up and sipped at it. Ayumi, who was sitting next to her, smiled softly.

"Well I'm happy for you, Kagome. I just wish you would've told us." She said, taking a bite out of one of her fries.

Kagome sighed, placing her head in her hands and her elbows on the table.

"I know, I know! Souta told me I should, just as a joke- ya' know? I didn't think I would _actually_ get _in_." Kagome groaned out in frustration.

"Well why don't you just not go-?" Eri started haughtily, her nose crinkled. Yuka and Ayumi turned sharply to the girl, their eyes hardened into glares while Kagome's eyes were wide.

"Eri!"

"Don't say such things! Kagome's lucky she got into Ouran!" Yuka abolished, smacking the other girl in the arm.

Kagome's cheeks reddened in embarrassment and dismay. This wasn't how today was supposed to go, not at all. How was her family going to pay such a high tuition for her? How were they going to pay for her school books? Her uniform? Her bus passes and train cards?

Kagome groaned, resting her head on the table.

* * *

"I don't know what to do Kagome," her mother started as they got the catalog for the uniform. She was currently flipping through it, looking at the different styles of dresses for the girl's uniform then looking at the men's.

"I'm surprised she got in at all." Souta snickered from behind her, Kagome glared at her younger brother and scowled at him.

"It was your idea I apply in the first place!"

"Yeah! But who knew you would actually get in?" Souta grinned at her cheekily, rubbing his nose at her before running off. Kagome sighed, sitting back at the table her mother stood by. Her mother set the catalog down.

"I'm not sure we can afford to buy you a uniform yet, Sweetheart." Her mother started, her eyebrows knitted together in worry. "You may have to go your first month in just nice clothes."

"I can do that, Momma. I don't need those silly puffy dresses." Kagome told her mother, giving her a weak smile. Her mother sighed, rubbing her daughters head.

"Maybe, but it is bad taste to attend a school and not wear the appropriate uniform." Her mother walked into the kitchen, "besides, I know you like those silly, puffy dresses." Her mother gave her a small smile over her shoulder, which Kagome blushed in embarrassment but grinned nonetheless.

"You know me so well, Momma."

"Well, you are my daughter."

Kagome laughed at that. "Yes, yes I am."

* * *

Kagome twisted her hand on her wrist nervously as she gazed up at the little corner market in the large park in the middle of the city early the following morning; the small convenient shack sat in a small corner of the pathway by the lake, small and abandoned tables sat nearby with small petals on them. Garbage overflowed and onto the walkway. Kagome stepped around it and looked inside.

"Hello?" She called timidly, glancing around. "Umm… Hello-"

There was a loud crash from the opposite side of the shop and a small black cat came bounding out, its tail spiked as it ran around her. Kagome jumped to the side, then looked back to see a man in his late twenties come bounding out after it carrying a broom. He paused in mid-step and mid-swing when he saw Kagome standing there, he fixed his glasses and ruffled his orange hair.

"May I help you?"

"I-uhh… I-I'm Kagome Higurashi, I'm here about that job offer in the paper…?" She finished, taking a step back and looking at the shop. The young man's eyes widened behind his glasses before he coughed into his hand to compose himself.

"O-Oh yeah, umm… Come right through, I'll give you an interview in the back." He turned around, Kagome followed him around the counter and to the back of a shop where a small hut was set up. "This is where I live. Pardon this mess, there was a little…" he coughed again, "problem that had to be taken care of." Meaning the cat.

"Ahh…" Kagome answered, looking around the small hut.

"My name is Satoshi, it's nice to meet you, Kagome."

"Like wise, Satoshi."

He removed his apron and hung it up on the wall, going towards the back of the hut and digging around.

"One second!" He called, Kagome shifted from one foot to the other, glancing around the shack again. Her eyes caught sight of small painted pictures with little descriptions, one being of the Shikon no Tama. Kagome's eyes instantly widened as her heart beat faster.

Satoshi came back out with a small apron and a little questionnaire. "Here you are, fill this out and put the apron on when you're done. I'll give you your first job and review your sheet while you're working. I'll have you temporary for a week and if you can handle it- you can stay." He explained walking back to her, he looked up and followed her gaze to the painted pink gem on the wall.

"Oh!" He laughed light heartedly. "The Shikon no Tama, it's a great story."

"It's not a story." She replied automatically. Her eyes widened and she turned to the confused man in front of her.

"I-it's a legend, and all legends are derived from some sort of truth… R-right?" She scratched the back of her head. Satoshi gave a light smile and handed her the two objects.

"I have a pen if you need it."

Kagome bowed her respects to him.

"T-Thank you for considering me, Satoshi-san."

"Please, just Satoshi."

"Y-yes Satoshi!" She said hurriedly, turning away from him and running out of the shop, heading towards the small tables in front of the shop to fill out the form in relative peace.

She just hoped she could keep this job.


	2. Meeting your Maker

_**Chapter 2:**_

"Kagome! Stir the Oden!"

"Yessir!"

"Kagome, take out the trash!"

"The trash is already outside, sir!"

"Kagome-"

Kagome tapped Satoshi on the shoulder behind him, making him turn around.

"Sir, I'm right here."

"Oh, how are you this morning?" He said cheerfully. Kagome sighed, glaring at her boss.

"Tired." She's been working for him for over two weeks now and he had her running around doing ridiculous things. On the bright side at least his hut was spotless.

"Lookin great." He gave her a thumbs up and a star-gleam in his eye. Kagome sighed, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Sir, I start school in three weeks. When will I be paid?"

The fact she hasn't gotten paid yet weighed heavily on Kagome's mind, she wanted to pay for as much of her things as she possibly could before she wasn't able to work more than weekends anymore. Satoshi hummed, rubbing his chin in thought.

"All in due time, my sweet bird~" He said in a sing-song type of voice. Kagome sighed deeply, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Whatever-" she was cut off by a ringing of a bell towards the front of the shop. Satoshi danced towards the sound and Kagome followed after him.

"Welcome," the two said in unison as they bowed towards their guests. "We are here to serve, what would you like?"

Kagome stared at the small group of young men- the smallest one was pointing at a sweet on the sign. The tallest one gave Satoshi the money, and he nodded to Kagome.

"Kagome, give the young master his preferred sweet."

Kagome blinked in confusion, before checking the sign to see which sweet the boy was pointing at.

"Ahh…" Kagome said softly, looking down at the boy with blonde hair and honey colored eyes.

"Yes sir," Kagome said to Satoshi, smiling at the boy.

It was about 5 minutes later when she presented a small wrapped box with the little cake in it.

"I hope you enjoy, umm…."

"Mitsukuni Haninozuka." The boy supplied, taking the offered treat. He smiled up at her largely. "Thank you, Kago-chan!"

Kagome blinked, before laughing lightly and smiling at the boy.

"If you're going to be so formal, I prefer Kagome." She smiled at him, the boy blinked slowly.

"Of course, Kagome."

* * *

It was a slow day at the shop, and it was the last day Kagome was working a full day before the start of school in two days. She laid on a table out front of the shop, her apron off as she stared up at the swaying branches of the trees. It was a pleasantly warm day with only a slight breeze, and she was spending it working. Not that she minded of course, but her friends were getting angry at her for not talking to them very often and spending all her time working. Yuka and Eri were getting frustrated with her- Yuka with lack of communication and Eri still out of jealousy and contempt-, Ayumi had visited her at work a few times now, but she had to buy something because "no friends allowed… While working," was applied.

She didn't mind seeing her quieter friend, she got along well with Ayumi (more so than she did with Eri now, that's for sure), but she could tell her friend was getting distant- torn between the two friends that were always there and the one who barely was… Physically and mentally.

In all honesty, Kagome was surprised she still had her job with how often she spaced out and broke things. She doesn't exactly know why she was falling into her depression again- maybe it was the Shikon jewel painting Satoshi had in his hut? Maybe it was Mitsukuni's big, innocent eyes that reminded her so much of Shippo.

She wasn't quite sure what brought it on, but it was getting harder and harder to get out of it. Kagome placed her arm over her eyes, taking in a shuddering sigh to help calm her racing heart.

When she removed her arm, she saw Shippo grinning down at her with his sparkling green eyes.

Kagome gasped as she sat up, looking around quickly for her little kit. Her heart hurting and feeling heavy in her stomach when she realized that it wasn't real, that her little Shippo really wasn't there.

Her eyes widened when she felt a gentle touch to her cheeks a moment later. She looked up at Satoshi, he didn't look like he usually did- smiling and being carefree. He looked serious. Kagome swallowed thickly when he moved his thumbs to wipe away her small tears.

"There's no crying here, Kagome. Only happiness and hard work."

Kagome nodded numbly at his words.

"Y-Yes Satoshi, I'm sorry for taking too long of a break, I'll get right back to work-" Kagome was sliding off the table when Satoshi put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Kagome looked up at him in confusion, the light bouncing off of his glasses so she couldn't see his eyes.

"You're free to go for the rest of the day, you have to get prepared and get your rest." He said calmly, refusing to look at her. Kagome tilted her head slightly.

"Why-"

Satoshi held out a paper towards her. Kagome took it carefully, studying his slowly coloring cheeks and the way he rubbed the back of his neck.

Kagome looked at the paper, realizing it was a check and her face fell in disbelief.

"400,000 YEN?!"

* * *

Kagome shifted nervously from one foot to the other as she looked at the uniform that was sent to her home the next day. It was poofy, frilly, and way- _way_ to elegant for her. It looked nice, don't get her wrong. She just wasn't sure it looked nice on _her_. Kagome sighed, giving a soft turn in the dress and watching it lift up around her knees before settling back down.

She frowned into her reflection in the mirror, her heart hammering as she realized that she was going to school tomorrow. Without her friends. Without her family. Without knowing anybody.

The feudal era she could handle; just punch, kick, and scream profanity to the sky and that was usually how she got around… But now, she was going into completely unfamiliar territory, with rich kids who have a culture all their own.

Kami's save her damned soul.


	3. Kyoya's Amusement

_**Chapter 3:**_

Her hand wrung around her wrist in nervousness in what has started to become a bad habit, her knees knocked together as she fiddled with her perfect little knot in her red scarf that was a symbol for her school (not like the fancy dress was any other indicator). This was intimidating.

If she was being 100% honest with herself… She kinda felt like she wanted to cry. She hadn't felt this overwhelming feeling of hopelessness with a side of being crushed in quite a while- like, 500 years (give or take).

Kagome breathed deeply, sighing out and trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She could do this- _Dammit Kagome! You've fought demons and monsters and terrible people, you've seen people die, you've seen corpses and you've buried the dead. This is nothing!_

But… It was. It was _terrifying_. Sure, all of those things gave her nightmares but they no longer bothered her. She used to say prayers with Miroku as she dug graves with him and Shippo. She used to glean corpses of their valuables with Sango so that the small group could afford to eat every now and then. She could handle blood and guts, she could handle a Fight or Flight battle- that's what she had been doing about a year ago. She learned quickly how to survive, how to hunt, how to fight, and how to not feel…

But this, this _was not_ a Fight or Flight situation.

She looked up at the large school that was painted in cheerful colors with beautiful blooming flowers, the elegant cherub statues, and pristine cut gardens. And she felt like she was drowning.

Kagome sighed inwardly, puffing out her chest and strolling forward into the academy like she had a purpose.

She made it into the big gallery where many students chatted pleasantly among themselves. Nameless faces blended with the crowd as Kagome stood alone, not quite sure what to do. She moved and backed into a firm chest, her back straightened and her eyes widened.

"Eep!" She cried, glancing behind her nervously before her eyes widened at the tall man behind her. He gave her a sideways glance before his eyes widened a fraction. A small blonde head poked from around him.

"Kago-chan?" Kagome's heart leapt into her throat as she recognized those big brown eyes.

"Mitsukuni!"

"It is Kago-chan, look Mori!" the little blonde boy bounded over to her, she picked him up easily and hugged him to her chest.

"I'm so glad I'm not alone in here anymore!" She cried out in joy, which at this point Mori caught Mitsukuni's worried eye.

"That reminds me," he started. Kagome sat him down and he looked up at her (not that she was much taller than him herself), "I didn't know you were going to go here, Kagome."

She rubbed her shoe on the ground and blushed.

"Well… I applied as a joke, to humor my brother, right? I didn't know I would actually get in…" Her face fell. "I was able to get in under the scholarship program, but with none of the money benefits. I had to find a job and pay for everything myself. I'll still be working weekends though." She sighed, her shoulders hanging forward in defeat. Mitsukuni and Mori glanced at each other again.

"I didn't know you guys went here, either. So those other boys you were with go here too?" Kagome asked, Mitsukuni grinned and nodded.

"Uh huh! Takashi and I are second years here."

"Really? How old are you both?"

"We're both 16, we turn 17 in a couple of months. What about you, Kago-chan?"

Kagome blushed at the way he used her name so familiarly.

"I'm 16 as well, but I turn 17 in November."

"Wooaaahhh…" The blonde was star struck at how she was only a little bit older than Takashi and himself.

Suddenly flower petals rained from the ceiling and a figure stood on the catwalk above them all.

"Welcome!" His voice boomed in the crowded room, "I am Suoh Yuzuru, chairman of our fine school." The man paused as people clapped at this. "I am proud to welcome all returning students and new ones as well! Our scholarship program has been put into good use since it's been established four years ago. Two freshman this year are under the prestigious program so it is with great respect and happiness that we all say: Welcome." He bowed and the older students on the ground bowed and curtsied as well. The newer students followed the elders lead and bowed back.

"Class schedules will be handed out down the hall at their respected tables. Have a wonderful year!" And with a flourish of his hand the man was gone and out of sight.

There was murmuring in the hall as the hoard of students started heading down the plush carpeted hallway, Kagome was in the middle of Mitsukuni and Takashi. They guided her to where long oak tables were set up and teachers were handing out schedules based off of last names to the students.

"Stand there, Kago-chan, meet us by the door when you get yours." Mitsukuni offered, guiding her to the line she would need to be in to get her schedule. Kagome gulped and nodded.

"O-ok, Mitsukuni-"

"Call me Hunny, and call him Mori." Kagome nodded at the two and they walked off to their own lines.

Kagome stood awkwardly with other first years, twisting her wrist in her hand once again.

"Two scholarship programs were given out?" She heard a girl mutter to a guy, Kagome looked at them from the corner of her eye and tilted her head slightly more in their direction to catch the conversation.

"That's ridiculous. That _never_ happens." A guy replied.

"I know, either they must be really smart or got under Suoh-sama's collar somehow."

The guy sniggered.

"Probably bribed him with something better than money."

The two of them laughed and Kagome tucked her head into her chest, her bangs hiding the hurt in her eyes.

She felt a tap on her shoulder.

* * *

Kagome found Hunny and Mori easily, she smiled at them but they both noted that it didn't quite reach her eyes like it did earlier.

"Kago-chan! I see you've met Kyoya." Hunny got on his tip toes to look around the two teens. "I wonder where Tamaki's at…" His lips quivered, Kyoya pushed his glasses back on his face, "tch"ing at the older student's antics.

"Tamaki is Suoh-sama's son." The other boy supplied for the girl. Kagome frowned at him slightly but huffed, turning her head to the side to ignore him. Kyoya stared at her for a second before scribbling something in a notebook he carried by his side.

Mori glanced between the two teens before he stepped in the middle of them, trying to diffuse what tension was started.

* * *

 _Kagome turned around when she felt a tap on her shoulder, surprised to see a guy with glasses standing behind her. She looked up at him (not that far though since he was maybe three inches taller than her). He blinked at her and she blinked back._

 _"Can I go in front of you?" He asked. Kagome's eyes widened before she placed her hands on her hips._

 _"No! I was here fair and square, sir."_

 _"Sir? Fair and square?" one of his eyebrows lifted up in confusion before he smirked, his glasses reflecting the light. "Ahh, I get it. You're one of the scholarship students, right?" A blush flooded to Kagome's cheeks as the chatter around them died down._

 _"S-So what if I am."_

 _"Oh nothing, just thought what kind of person could make the scholarship program split in two. I was curious to see who it was, but now I must say my curiosity is disappointed."_

 _Her fists clenched as she glared at him._


	4. Saying Goodbye

**_Chapter 4:_**

The shop was quiet on the warm Sunday afternoon, a gentle breeze blew by flyers and lifted them up. Kagome had her cheek rested in her hand, falling asleep standing at the front of the shop waiting for a customer to stop by.

As her head was dozing off and about to hit the counter a voice rang out from farther down the path: "Oh Kago-chan~!"

"Oh!" Her head hit the counter and she groaned out, rubbing the side of her head. She leaned over the side of the counter and saw a small group of four walking towards the shop.

"Hey," Tamaki waved at her and she blinked.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked them, skeptical of their approach. This was the second weekend of the school year so far and they made a point to visit her once before at work already.

"Oh, we just wanted to make sure you knew it was against school policy for the students to hold an outside of school job that isn't with a family company or internship. It can call for expulsion." Kyoya stated.

Kagome's eyes widened and the other members glared daggers at him. He shrugged.

"She needed to know-"

"We could've brought it up easier and later!" Honey whined, Mori nodded in agreement. Tamaki blushed brightly and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm really sorry, Kagome…"

" ** _Kagome!_** " Three female voices called out, Kagome's heart dropped farther in her chest when she saw her other three friends.

"Girls!" Kagome faked her enthusiasm to see them, but Kyoya and Honey noticed her forced smile.

The three girls walked up to the shack, Eri smug as she placed her hand on her hip.

"How's work treating ya? Getting all rich like those snotty bastards you go to school with?" The four boys visibly stood shocked and rigid.

"Eri," Yuka murmured and Ayumi shot a warning glare to the other girl, who only rolled her eyes in response.

"Guys, you know my policy at work, no friends allowed unless you're buying something." Her tone was soft and her shoulder dropped. "Besides, after today I don't think I'll be able to keep my job," she motioned over to the four males. "These are some ' _rich snotty bastards_ ' I go to school with. Tamaki, Kyoya, Honey, and Mori. They just told me that if I don't quit my job that I'll be expelled from school-"

"-Maybe that would be for the best," Yuka murmured. Kagome's eyes widened.

"What! _Yuka_ , how could you say that?" Kagome asked shrilly, her heart clenching and smaller than what it already was.

"Well…" Yuka rubbed her arm in embarrassment. "It's just that… It's not the same without you there, Kagome. I mean, it's different from when you were sick all the time last year, at least we know where you are and we can visit you, but we can't see you every day. We used to always stop by your house and check up on you, but now we can't exactly do that. It's not the same without you, Kagome."

Kagome stopped breathing.

Stop going to Ouran? A school she didn't even _dream_ of getting into.

 _And they want her to quit? When just weeks ago they were telling her what a great idea it was._

No.

She didn't realize she said it out loud, only when Yuka looked up startled did she realize that she did.

"No." She said again, shaking her head. She glanced at her new friends. Tamaki looked concerned and heart broken, Honey was near tears and even Mori looked saddened by the thought of her leaving. Of course Kyoya looked disinterested as always, what a jackass.

She looked back at her female friends, her female friends that had stayed by her through everything (mostly).

"I-I just can't _leave_ , Yuka. I've been given this great opportunity- one even you said was too good to pass up- a-and now you're asking me to quit? When I worked all summer to get enough money for that stupid uniform!" Tears were threatening to leak out of her eyes and she knew that she was yelling. "To get into that school! A school I'm really starting to enjoy going to- sure, I may not fit in there, everyone being so different and all- but that's _fine_! I'm happy! I'm not just going to get up and leave without even giving it a fair shot, Yuka!"

She was breathing hard and she knew she was crying, but she didn't care. She really didn't care about a lot of things anymore, but this was one she did.

"I'm not going to quit before I even really started, dammit! I didn't work my summer away for _nothing_!"

The area around was quiet, eerily so. Satoshi came out from the back, his chipper demeanor calm and his smiling face set into a frown.

"I think it's time for you all to go." He said, Kyoya stared at him, staying behind after the girls exchanged uneasy glances and a soft "bye Kagome" from Ayumi.

"Kyoya, that means us too." Tamaki said, turning away.

"Satoshi, may I have a moment of your time?" Kyoya said, the older man glanced down at him, before nodding.

"Kagome go to the back, take a break. I'll be back there soon." Satoshi nudged the shaking girl, who nodded mutely, disappearing to the back wiping furiously at her eyes.

Once she was gone Kyoya spoke up, "what is the co-founder of Tashio Corporations doing at a small snack shack in the middle of the park?"

Satoshi chuckled at the little Ootori, rubbing his head and messing up his hair as well as knocking his glasses sideways.

"Smart kid, I do it for fun. Being in a stuffy office all day gets boring." He shrugged. "Besides, sometime it gets exciting, like what happened today."

He got serious again as he looked at Tamaki.

"I'll figure out some way for Kagome to keep her job." Tamaki nodded mutely.

"Yes, Satoshi-san."

"Please!" The man said joyously as he slung his arm around the Ootori and Suoh boy. "You're all friends of my sweet, little Kagome! Call me Satoshi!"

"Y-Yes! Now let me go!" Kyoya ranted.

* * *

Kagome sat in the back of the shop by the entrance of Satoshi's home, she sat on the steps and drew circles in the ground with her shoe; her eyes puffy from her recent bought of depression and anger.

How could they say _that_ to her! They said _they were happy_ for her and then took their words back and spat in her face!

Kagome took a shuddering breath. She casted a glance at the apron that was folded neatly on the step next to her.

Maybe she should just leave the shop, and not tell Satoshi that this would be her last day. Run away from her problems? Kagome didn't run away often, but after today, she might consider trying it for the first time.

Kagome buried her head in her hands, her heart aching.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Getting kinda crazy now, right?**_


	5. You're a Host! Right?

**_Chapter 5:_**

"Kagome," Tamaki approached her Monday morning. "Have you found an appropriate club that fits you, yet?" He smiled at her charmingly.

Kagome only stared at him, sitting down in her desk that was only a few away from his.

"No."

Recently that seemed to be her favorite word.

Tamaki looked helplessly over to Kyoya, who only shrugged and got his notebooks out for their first class together.

"I started a club, the Host Club. I want you to be there with us."

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked up at him, her heart beating fast as she looked up into his strikingly familiar violet eyes-

Her heart started to hurt as his hair started to remind her of the rings on Miroku's staff.

"You and who else?"

Tamaki grinned from ear to ear at her not flat out rejecting the offer.

"Why Kyoya and I of course! As well as Honey-senpai and Mori-Senpai! There are also a pair of twins a grade younger than we that I wish to recruit as well. I want your official help to getting them."

Kagome's heart thundered in her chest.

A host club?

"What else would I be doing?"

Tamaki grinned and pulled a chair up right in front of her desk.

"So glad you asked, my little flower." He winked at her and her eyes widened and her back straightened. "You would also be a host! You would be the type that sympathized with girl's problems, the listener of the troubles, the mother hen to us all with your caring heart and your delicate hands-"

She tuned him out after that, she looked down at her _delicate hands_ , her _caring heart_ squeezing itself tight.

If only he knew the truth, he probably wouldn't be talking to her.

Her eyes widened in realization.

If he knew, _if any of them knew_ , she would lose her friends.

Kagome bit her lip at the harsh thought.

"I'll do it." She agreed, his eyes brightened. She didn't notice Kyoya turn his head slightly to look at them from the corner of his eyes.

"Great! We'll lead you to the Third Music Room after school today."

"Ok," she tilted her head to the side and smiled sweetly at him, the sun from the windows catching her hair just right where it looked blue.

* * *

She was reading a book on the train station platform waiting for the train to come by and take her to the other side of the city where Ouran sat. She tucked her hair behind her ear and held it there when a train flew by, whipping her hair around her cream puff frame. She bit on her lip as she got to a daring part into her story, not willing to put it down or look up from it just yet when the train pulled up. She groaned softly before marking her place and putting her book back into the shoulder bag she carried.

Kagome nestled herself in between two men near the entrance of the door when the train was off again, there were some students from other schools riding the train this morning, and three girls in blue uniforms caught her eye almost immediately.

It was them, Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri. They were talking and laughing softly to themselves, unaware that Kagome was even there.

She calmed her breathing and heard them complaining about how they had to reroute themselves to get to school because of a bad car crash earlier that morning.

Kagome sighed, turning herself away from her old friends. She dug into her bag and brought out her book again, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. The train jerked as it started rolling down the tracks; this was the shortest train ride across town before she had to get onto another one, and so she wanted to get as much reading done as she could in the packed train before she would lose her place.

Someone bumped into her, causing her to stumble with her book and she watched helplessly as it dropped onto the floor. She almost wanted to cry out in frustration and as she bent down to pick it up a larger knuckled hand reached out and picked it up for her. Kagome looked at the heavier set man, and immediately something felt off about him.

"Umm…"

"Is this your book, miss?" He asked, his kind eyes and his smile setting her on edge.

"Y-Yes it is, may I have it back, please?"

"Oh, of course!" He handed it back to her but he refused to let go of it when she reached for it. "Tell me, are you a student at that Ouran Academy?"

"Yes, I am." She said, tugging harder and getting her book from him.

"Wonderful! I've heard pleasant things about that school," Kagome accidentally elbowed a large man behind her. She sweat dropped and said "sorry," to him before turning to the man before her.

"You have?" Kagome asked, feigning interest in what he has to say.

"Oh yes," he nodded, "great programs, good service, fantastic teachers, top-notch health system. The students being from respectable families or incredibly rich…" He continued to name things off but really she stopped listening, not noticing the way the two men behind her looked over their shoulders at her.

"Yes," she replied when she realized he finished talking. "Ouran has all of those things, though not all the students are rich. Family name comes before wealth in the school system, and there are scholarship opportunities as well." She was getting nervous, she glanced around at a clock and noticed that it wasn't going to be for another few minutes until the next station came up. She sighed.

"How fascinating…" One man behind her mumbled, glancing at the man next to him as well as the other in front of her. "Sounds like a really good school."

"It is." She could've groaned, now she was talking to two or three people about the school.

One of the men behind her pushed against her back, causing her to take a cautious step forward as she glared over her shoulder at him. A sudden jerk at the train slowing caused her to tumble forward into the man in front of her, and when the doors opened she was corralled out by the three men, blending in with the crowd as they gripped her upper arms and held a hand over her mouth.

When they turned a corner to the communal bathrooms did she realize that she was in trouble.


	6. Don't Touch Me!

**Chapter 6**

Kagome leaned against the wall catching her breath from running in her now torn dress and ripped stockings, her heart hammering in her ears but she didn't move for fear of the police officer catching her.

After a few more tense minutes she sighed in relief, emerging from around the corner and walking down the street clutching her dress to her chest tightly, fresh tears starting to prickle her eyes.

 _The three men drug her into the unisex bathroom that read "family's only"; they pushed her inside and locked the door behind them, crowding around the door and her. Kagome shrunk back as far as she could, her hands scrambling for something that could help her but nothing came within reach._

 _"Give us all your money!" One of the larger men bellowed, his fists clenching as he took a step towards her. Kagome squeaked in fright, jumping slightly at his harsh tone then cowering back._

 _"I-I don't have any money! I'm one of the scholarship students!" Kagome protested, trying to reason the best way she knew how: by talking her way out (which more often than not, didn't work)._

 _"Don't lie to us, we see you walking around with those wealthy bastards, you have to have some money. Rich people just don't hang around with the poor!" The guy who she was talking to her earlier defended, the third guy (who had yet to say anything) lunged for her, grabbing her small wrists in one of his hands and pinning them above her head- his other hand searched her skirt and bodice before lifting the frilly material up and patting at her socks and thighs, trying to find a wallet of some sort._

 _By now Kagome was kicking and crying, trying to get away from them._

 _"You have to have some money!" The guy from earlier called desperately, ripping at her stockings and at her skirts, tearing down her dress and exposing her bra. He grabbed at her wallet that fell out of her dress, pawing through it desperately._

 _Kagome screamed loudly, drawing her arms tight into her chest as a pink glow emitted from her mid-section, blinding the three men that caused them to stumble back._

 _"Get away from me!" She shouted at them, throwing her hands out as the pink glow burned red and the wave of energy knocked the three men down. As soon as it started it was over; Kagome focused her eyes slowly, trying to calm her breathing down as she wheezed at the sudden pain in her lungs, tears spilling down her cheeks as the three men lay unconscious on the bathroom floor._

 _Kagome stood up slowly and made her way out of the bathrooms clutching at her scar where she was first attacked by a demon—she wasn't used to it acting up again, it always used to have a dull ache when she was in the past hunting for the Shikon no Tama, but… it never hurt like this. _

_It was terrifying._

 _As she made her way out of the tunnel to get onto the next train she heard groans and footsteps behind her. Kagome glanced back and her blood ran cold, the three men woke up and spotted her—and now they were running after her._

 _Oh Kami's._

 _Kagome dodged and weaved throughout the small crowed of people, clutching her dress to her chest and also her side where the ache was becoming more prominent._

 _She saw the train she needed and ran towards it, jumping inside before the doors closed… but so did the three men. She jumped out the other side just as the doors closed, she lay on the abandoned platform starring at one of the three men who were glaring daggers at her against the glass as the train pulled away._

 _Kagome stood up, swaying slightly and making her way towards a map to see the quickest way she could get to school._

 _As she emerged she saw a police's car not far off and a police officer talking to a pedestrian._

 _Kagome's blood froze and she ran to hide, not wanting to get caught with her clothes in such a mess and get in trouble for "public indecency" and also for not being to school yet…_

 _School!_

 _Kagome hid for a few minutes longer in tense silence._

She sighed as she walked along an abandoned stretch of highway, just another two miles to Ouran… Yay…

Kagome pulled at her hair in frustration, her top falling down to expose her bra again. Kagome groaned loudly before pulling it back up and crossing her arms over the flap. Her head was bowed as cars whizzed by her, a limo slowed down in front of her and pulled over.

Kagome stopped walking, waiting for whoever was in the limo to get out. She quickly debated running across the street to finish getting to school but threw that idea out the window as soon as the back door opened.

Kyoya stepped out.

"Kagome?" His glasses reflected the early morning sunlight, but Kagome was never so glad to see a familiar face. She smiled in relief as unwanted tears spilled over her cheeks again, her smile turning into a sob as she stumbled towards him, the pain in her side burning and feeling like the skin itself was ripping apart.

"K-Kyoya," Kagome sniffed, coming to stand in front of him.

She collapsed against him, letting out a shaking sob as she gripped his jacket.

"Kyoya." She kept mumbling his name, not believing that he was actually there and that possibly he too would disappear. "Kyoya, Kyoya. Thank you, thank Kami's you're here, Kyoya." Her own voice betrayed her ears and sounded as broken as she felt.

He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her and they stood like that for a few silent moments on the side of the highway in the early morning sun.

* * *

"Now, Higurashi-san, tell me exactly what happened," the older Suoh said, pouring the two students in front of him and himself some tea. Kagome, red bleary eyed and dazed only stared at the tea before her.

"I found her walking on the side of the road to school just minutes before, I thought it would be best to come to you." Kyoya explained briefly, glancing to his classmate. "She hasn't said much since I found her, she's been very quiet." He took the tea and sipped at it, adding a few cubes of sugar and two drops of cream.

"You should be getting to your first class before you're late, I'll handle Kagome."

Kyoya nodded, finishing his tea and bowing his respects to his elder, who waved him off. Kyoya lingered at the doorway for a moment longer, staring at the slumped shoulders of the commoner girl. He turned away quickly, striding down the halls before running to his first class.

"Kagome," the older man said in a softer tone, and the girl's blue eyes met his own softer violet. "Please, I'm only trying to help you… What happened?"

Thinking about what happened and her now ruined uniform that she spent her break working so hard for, now no longer being able to work with Satoshi, all the money he gave her went to her books, uniform, and bills for the shrine. She had nothing left of her sweet boss who gave her a chance.

Kagome's lips started to tremble and she unknowingly made a high pitched whine in the back of her throat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

"Woah-woah! Alright, it can wait, it can wait." Suoh tried to calm her down, it worked as she sniffed loudly and took the tea off the saucer with a shaking hand.

That was when it went from bad to _worse_.

Tamaki barged into the office, demanding his father's attention when the demand died on his lips as his eyes landed on the shaken up Kagome, who looked like he was a murder with a knife.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ ** _Sorry for all the mistakes, I wanted to get this updated now that I had the chapter written and I just couldn't wait; I'll come fix up the chapter later tomorrow but for now I hope you all enjoy. Review please and let me know what you think!_**


	7. The Companion Project

_**Chapter 7**_

"Alright, men!" Tamaki placed his foot on a table and pointed to the small group, the Host Club had been over with for an hour now and Kagome refused to go home without some help. Hunny stood at attention and saluted him, Mori did the same thing, Kyoya only rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Our dear Kagome got attacked today and I say _No More_!" Tamaki brought a fist to his chest as tears sparkled against his cheeks, Kagome glanced at them from the far corner of the room and blushed bright and turned back to sip at the tea she was given. "That is why I'm devising up this-" He brought a whiteboard out and Kagome blinked in surprise, looking around the room for where it could've come from. "-the _Companion Project_!" confetti fell from the ceiling and Hunny looked at the board in awe.

Kagome looked on in horror as she scrambled up and to the small group, she pushed her way to the front as her eyes darted around the board.

 **Taking Kagome to school:** Mori, Hunny.

 **Taking Kagome home from school:** Tamaki, Kyoya.

 _Kyoya_ …

Kagome's cheeks burnt at the memory of how she approached Kyoya earlier that morning before she shook her head quickly.

"No!" She gasped out, she didn't need a body guard! She didn't need escorts all the time. "I won't allow you all to do that-"

"Nonsense!" Tamaki cried as he grasped her, he nuzzled his cheek against her raven hair. "You're our precious and we must keep you safe at all costs!"

"Tamaki-!" Kagome gasped again at the sudden pain in her side, she winced and grabbed a hold of the old scar. She grit her teeth but fell to her knees, gripping at the floor to keep herself quiet.

Why, why now? _Why_ now was her old scar acting up?

* * *

When Kagome's eyes opened she was laying sideways on the floor. Her eyelashes felt sticky and wet, and her cheeks felt wet as well. She blinked a few more times before she gazed around the room finding that it was empty. The curtains were drawn together but streaks of moonlight gazed through a few curtains, casting long shadows along the floor.

"Guys?" She called out but she knew no one would be there to answer her. Kagome got up and sighed, rolling her neck out from the kinks that had settled there then started walking slowly towards the main doors that lead out into the hallway.

As Kagome's hand ghosted over the sleek, golden handle music started playing. It drifted through the room, caressing her body in soft touches as the piano (she assumed) played keys softly, beautifully.

Her heart was hammering in her chest but her feet moved on their own, turning away from the door to find the source of this wondrous, beautiful music. The door got darker the farther she traveled from it; breathing got harder, by the time she was close enough to see the outline of the white piano she was grasping at her chest trying to get any sort of air into her lungs.

She wasn't breathing.

Kagome collapsed onto the ground and started crawling towards the piano, a hand still grasped to the new dress that Tamaki and his father graciously gave her as she got closer and closer to the instrument. Finally, before she passed out due to lack of oxygen, she could see a figure with long, black hair playing the keys. His polished shoes controlling the damper pedal while his ivory hands gleamed silver in the moon light flew across the keys in what she recognized as _Clair de Lune_.

The man glanced back behind him, his red eyes gleaming and his smile turning into a malicious grin.

 _Naraku._

Kagome gasped.

* * *

The girl shot up with a scream in her throat, her lungs burning and her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

Tamaki was the first one in her face after she awoke, and she blinked around in startled confusion. Her hands gripping the sides of one of the couches they were provided tightly.

"Kagome, breathe." Tamaki, lacking his enthusiasm, carefully placed his hands on her shoulders, offering her a glass of water. Kagome swallowed past the lump in her throat before taking the offered beverage timidly.

She mumbled a soft thank you in return.

"Are you alright?" it was Kyoya who spoke up this time, and even Tamaki showed signs of shock of his stoic friends concern.

Words died on Kagome's lips, was she alright? Well, the obvious answer is no. But she can't tell her friends that.

She can't tell her new friends a lot of things.

Tears ran down her cheeks though they went unnoticed by her.

She looked up at both of them, forcing her best smile still unaware of her tears and her shuddering shoulders, she didn't hear her broken voice or the gasp she had to take afterwards.

She just knew she said two simple words: "I'm _fine_!"

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry for shorter chapter(s) I've been busy the last couple of days (weeks) and finally got around to updating! Enjoy!**_


	8. The Trouble Twin's

_**Chapter 8  
**_

Tamaki and Kagome snuck over to the Elementary and Secondary school where Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin could be found during lunch. Tamaki hid in a bush and Kagome sat down next to him behind the bush.

"Is this really necessary?" Kagome whined, tilting her head back to look at the sky.

"Of course it is! Those two are critical to our success as a club-"

"But Taaaammmmaaaaakkkkiiiiii," Kagome whined as she drew out his name. His back stiffened as she looked back at her, her head tilted all the way back to look at him. "We haven't even had a proper club activity yet~"

Tamaki couldn't help but blush.

"We've had a few outings with the club, like that Garden party!"

Kagome righted herself and turned to lean on hand closer to him to talk easier.

"I'm not even really sure what we do, so how can I help convince them to come with us?"

Tamaki rubbed his chin in thought.

"That's a good point, but for now we're scouting them out." Tamaki looked through the bush again and this time Kagome joined him. Tamaki then found the two brightly ginger-haired boys talking to a young girl.

"That's them, the ones with red hair." Tamaki nodded his head in the direction of the two boys and Kagome found them easily enough. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying to the girl.

 _"-come on, you've known us for years. Which one is Hikaru?"_

 _"I-I don't know, I never liked this game you guys, you're too similar…"_

 _"Aww, come on, we know you can tell us apart."_

 _"Really guys-"_

 _"Just once-"_ one of the twins started when the other hung himself on the others shoulder, leaning down into the girls face with a Cheshire like grin.

" _And we won't bother you again."_

The girl stuttered, looking between the two of them carefully but with wide eyes.

 _"U-Umm…"_ Her finger was shaking as she looked between the two of them.

 _"You."_ She pointed to the one on the left, the twins looked at each other before grinning and getting in the girls face.

 _"Nope!"_

 _"Sorry~!"_

 _"I-IT'S NOT FAIR YOU GUYS. You're identical, I can't tell you apart."_ The girl's fists clenched and she turned on her heel and ran off, the twins looked at each other before shrugging.

 _"You know that's the second time she got it right,"_ Kaoru stated, looking at the brother the girl pointed at.

 _"That doesn't mean we should let her know that."_ Hikaru commented off handedly as the two started walking towards the grove of trees.

"Tamaki, I think it's time for us to go now," Kagome said, looking to Tamaki but finding him missing. Kagome's eyes widened as she stood up quickly, finding her friend swaggering towards the twins.

"Tamaki," Hikaru turned towards him, Kaoru crossing his arms.

"We didn't expect to see you till next year."

"Ahh, I know. I just can't stay away from my past," he pushed his bangs back against his forehead and sighed deeply.

Kagome rolled her eyes, stepping over the bush and walking towards her friend and the two younger boys. Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at her then stared at her.

"What are you doing here?" Hikaru asked Tamaki even though he was staring at Kagome.

"Glad you asked my little friends, I was wondering if you'd be-"

"If you'd be interested in joining us in the Host Club." Kagome cut him off, giving him an apologetic smile before looking up at the twins. "We're building up our club and I've heard great things about you two, and I personally would love it if you joined our club."

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other.

"What's the catch?" Hikaru looked down his nose at her, and Kagome's eyes widened before her eyebrow twitched.

"Well one, you can stop treating me like a low-class piece of trash," her arms crossed, "and secondly you can stop acting like you're better than everyone else."

"Kagome, this wasn't how it was supposed to go." Tamaki's eyes were wide. "I was going to swoop in and convince them with my well thought-out speech about them being important and being good friends to myself and each other and how in the Host Club everyone would get a chance to see them as themselves instead of as one person." Tamaki sighed deeply.

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other.

"We'll do it-"

"But only if-"

"-Both of you can beat the Which one is Hikaru game." They finished off together, slinging their arms around each other's shoulders. "You go first." They both pointed to Kagome.

"That's easy, you're Hikaru." She said and pointed to Hikaru, Kaoru looked mildly surprised and so did Hiakru.

"Wr-"

"No, I'm right." She placed her hands on her hips.

"Now it's my turn! You're Hikaru!" Tamaki through his finger in Hikaru's face, the twins gave him a deadpanned look.

"That's not how you play the game, Boss." Kaoru moved Tamaki's hand out of his face. "You have to wait till tomorrow to continue playing. We'll join your club once you get it right."

And with that the two of them left, leaving Tamaki and Kagome standing behind.

* * *

Kagome sat in the back of Kyoya's limo awkwardly, her hands resting folded in her lap as she sat quite a few seats away from… her friend.

"How are you feeling?" His question surprised her. Kagome turned her head quickly to look at her friend, and she stared at him.

"Umm… I've been fine."

"You're having violent mood swings I've noticed."

Kagome blushed brightly and turned her head away from him.

"This isn't a conversation I would like to have right now."

The limo was silent. Kyoya worked on homework as well as expenses for the Host Club now that it was started and running. Tamaki had tried twice to beat the game Hikaru and Kaoru set up for them, but he continued to fail.

But he guessed right every time, she knew he did. They were looking for something, something from him.

Something that he'll say to them.

Gears turned in Kagome's head, she leaned back against the leather seats and held a hand up to her mouth as she thought about what Hikaru and Kaoru were waiting to hear.

Kyoya glanced at the girl when she didn't move for a few minutes, finding that she had fallen asleep.

He shook his head from staring at her, berating himself by getting distracted.

Just minutes before stopping in front of Kagome's home, she cried out in her sleep. Her hands gripping the seat as she tossed her head back and forth.

"Don't hurt them-"

Kagome sat up quickly when the limo stopped, her heart beating wildly in her chest and her eyes wide as she glanced at Kyoya. She grabbed her back pack and ran out of the limo.

"Thanks, Kyoya!" She slammed the door and thanked the driver up front as well, running up the stairs to the shrine as quickly as she possibly could.

Kyoya was surprised, thinking over how often she has nightmares.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Uh-oh, Kagome, shouldn't have fallen asleep with Kyoya around. Review please!**_


	9. Insulted Me

(Chapter 9)

She rummaged through her old things- the ones she took with her to the feudal era and hasn't touched since she's been back. Well, except for now. She touched each item with care and uncertainty: the photo she took of them all a few weeks before their final encounter with Naraku; one of Shippo's favorite wooden human toys; One of Sango's hair brushes she made her; a couple of sutra's that Miroku had made just for her; and even a braided necklace that InuYasha had made for her.

Kagome couldn't help the saddened smile that spread across her cheeks.

InuYasha…

How long had it been since she's seen them?

* * *

She knew they were there, watching her. It didn't help that she could also see their white uniforms as well as their bright orange hair.

She hummed in response one of the girls with her had said, she believed they were talking about how their mother's passion for clothes design was falling and they were in need of new clothing for the warming weather. Her mind was thoroughly elsewhere, even if her eyes were rested on the hidden twins she didn't necessarily see them.

"Kagome?" Kyoya stepped in front of her line of vision, bringing her out of her mind and her guests' conversations to mull away.

"May I have a word with you?" His request was polite but she knew better.

"Of course…" she smiled at her guests, bowed to them, and walked with Kyoya around the room as he did his checks and rounds.

"Your grades are slipping," he said. She nodded slowly.

"I've been trying to keep up with them, but it's difficult since I-"

"Since you don't sleep, yes. I've noticed that you have insomnia." He wrote something down in his notebook. She glanced up at him from the corner of her eye.

"I didn't know you let dogs in your prestigious club, Kyoya." A woman approached them, a third year it seemed. Kagome shrunk away from her.

"Ahh, Miss Kazage. I hope you're enjoying our Hosts as well as our treats, the recipes right from France and Germany themselves."

She smirked down at Kagome, seeing as she was a good couple inches taller than her.

"Immensely, but it smells a bit _poor_ in here, don't you think? Not enough rose petals and too much like work." She waved her hand in front of her face for added effect. Kyoya took a deep breath himself and hummed in thought, Kagome looked appalled.

"Now that you mention it, it does smell a little stale. I'll have a new truck of roses shipped tomorrow, thank you for your concerns." The stare he gave her didn't waver her smug smirk, and she stared at Kagome for a moment longer before turning on her heel and walking away.

"Kyoya," Kagome said, gripping his arm. "How could you do such a thing like that?" She asked him through clenched teeth. She knew he wasn't her friend but at least she thought they were acquainted enough!

"What do you mean?" He said simply, looking over his glasses at her. "She simply brought to my attention that it didn't smell right in here, and I agreed. Isn't the air a bit stale and muggy to you?"

"No," she said harshly, glaring up at him. "It smells like roses, it smells like happiness, it smells like every good thing that there could be but there's not, Kyoya. Everything you're not." She crossed her arms over her chest. "She outright insulted me and you _agreed_ with her. I know we're not friends, but I had thought we were on better terms than that."

She turned around, walking with as much grace as she could muster.

She helped save the god damn world 500 years ago, she should not have to put up with being treated like that! She knew she wasn't the best, but she didn't almost die to be treated like some second-hand rag doll to be tossed aside for later!

"Kagome," he caught up with her, grabbing onto her wrist. She turned to him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. He stared at her. "If you don't get your grades back up you will be kicked out of the club-"

Her jaw was clenched, her eyes were wide with anger as his head wrung with a small red hand print against it.

"You are a bastard, Kyoya Ootori." She said sharply, her eyes shining as she spun on her heel and stalked out of the room, her shoulders square as she pushed the large double doors open with barely a flick of her wrists.

The Host room was quiet, the club members looked shocked and confused, and a bit torn with how Kagome had reacted. But Kyoya stood with a limp arm, and his other arm cradling his cheek and skewed glasses.

* * *

Everything she knew was just going _down_. Her grades were slipping, her work around the shrine was failing, she hadn't heard from Satoshi in _weeks_ and she could really use a friend right about now.

That's why she found herself in the same park she used to work in, it seemed abandoned even though it was still fairly early in the day, and still warm from the summer months.

She walked aimlessly through the fields, not bothering to keep to the path. She was here to see an old friend, not enjoy the scenery.

She approached the little shop, seeing it sit lonely, the wind ruffling some of its little charms.

"Hello?" She called as she approached, not seeing anyone in the front. "Satoshi?" She looked around the side, following it back towards his private house.

"Satoshi," Kagome called again, she knocked on his little door. Soon his familiar orange head of hair came out and he grinned behind his glasses.

"Kagome! My little angel, there you are!" He bounded out to her and picked her up, hugging her to his body tightly, swinging her around like she was a rag doll.

"Alright- alright, thank you Satoshi. I missed you too." She grinned up at him, glad to see her old boss and friend again.

"What brings you to my humble abode?" He bowed at her, flourishing his hand like an English gentleman would.

The smile she had suddenly fell from her face as she rubbed her arm in an uncomfortable gesture.

"I've… been having a hard couple of days, and needed a friend to talk too."

He looked down at her with a concentrated look on his face. "Alright, please come in. You'll even be able to meet my father." Satoshi grinned boyishly, opening the door again for her. Kagome looked shocked and blushed.

"Y-You're father is here? I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that you had family visiting, I can come back another time-"

"Nonsense!" Satoshi pushed her through the door. "I was telling him all about my adorable little worker over the school break," he wiggled his eyebrows at her and she felt a tense and uneasy smile come across her face.

"Well, alright…"

He opened the door to the other part of his small home, where a little kitchen and door to a bathroom sat, there at the middle table was a man who seemed to be fairly young looking to be a father of a 20-something year old man.

"Kagome, this is my father. Satoshi Senior."

Kagome bowed to him, "Hello, it's pleasant to make your acquaintance, Satoshi-san."

The older man turned to look at her, and sized her up. He smiled pleasantly at her, standing up and bowing to her.

"Hello, Kagome." He said rather fondly, his green eyes twinkled kindly down at her once they stood up. "I hear you're having some troubles, I may be of assistance to you."

Kagome smiled herself, feeling less tense around the two older men. But there was something about the older Satoshi that seemed familiar, but she just couldn't place her finger on what it was about him.

* * *

The talk with the two Satoshi's (who looked _way_ too similar for her liking, the only difference she could see was that Satoshi's father had the beginning of little fine wrinkles and smile lines, as well as a hint of gray in his bright orange hair) went better than Kagome originally thought it would, and when she reaccounted the train incident that happened last week, it was her former boss who clenched his fists and bared his teeth like a mad animal, claiming that he would find them and rip _their_ nice dresses up because _how dare they hurt his little Kagome_ _?!_

Kagome giggled, and felt calm around the two of them. Satoshi Sr. was the one who calmed his son down, and talked rationally with Kagome about her school troubles, she even mentioned her insomnia.

"Well, Kagome. You're in luck it would seem." Satoshi Sr. said finally, folding his hands over each other. Satoshi and her exchanged glances with each other before looking at the older man. "I'm apart of the medical and technological company of Tashio Corporations, I would have to talk to my business partner, but I think he would agree with me in letting you become our apprentice. My son is already the face of the company, I having passed down more of the publicity part of it to him, but I still run in the background. If he agrees, and I'm sure he will. How would you like to work for us during your breaks?"

Her eyes widened, her heart was soaring.

But...

"I can't have a job or internship unless I'm related to the company in someway." She said dejectedly, her shoulders slumping.

The two Satoshi's grinned at each other.

"Don't you worry about all that, we have a way to make things work for good people."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I FINALLY UPDATED OH MY GOD HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?! THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN SO PATIENT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS NEW CHAPTER. **_

**_I tried to make it a bit longer than I usually do, I hope it worked._**


	10. Finding Family

(Chapter 10)

The other end of the phone line was silent for a few moments, but Satoshi Senior wasn't anxious.

 _"And… You're 100% positive that it's her?"_ the other voice said, and Satoshi nodded into the phone while he spoke.

"I'd know her anywhere, Sesshoumaru." His fox ears flicked as he looked at the picture his son gave him that he had taken of himself and Kagome. "Same face, same eyes, same smell- _it's her._ I would know my mother anywhere."

The older demon sighed over the phone.

 _"Alright, we approach this slowly and with caution. I will have one of my children enrolled in school with her, and watch her from afar. Perhaps start a small friendship with her. If she accepts us again, then we will take care of her. For now I will take care of her family."_

"It will be great to be a part of her life again, won't it?"

 _"Yes, it will be."_

* * *

"Have you heard?" people were whispering in the halls as Kagome passed, she found Tamaki and Kyoya standing outside their class room, she approached Tamaki and stayed on the other side of him- away from Kyoya.

"What is everyone so excited about?" She asked curiously, Tamaki looked down at here and then glanced at Kyoya.

"Well, it seems that the youngest Tashio heir has been transferred to school here from over in Europe."

Kagome blinked her eyes in surprise.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, apparently his name is Saburo."

"That's weird, I was talking to Satoshi and his father last week, and I was telling them about school here. Maybe Satoshi's business partner had his son come back here for school? What grade is he in?"

Kyoya looked interested then, but Tamaki answered.

"He's a Third year. Which isn't too terrible I suppose," he pushed his bangs back, striking a pose. "I doubt he will be more gorgeous than I-"

Something spiked on Kagome's instincts, and she turned to see a tall man walk past. His hair was long and… white? He looked at her when he walked past her, their eyes connecting briefly.

He paused, looking at her companions before looking down at her.

"Kagome?"

She didn't know why she blushed, but she did.

"Y-yes?"

He grinned, cocking his head to the side as he thrust his hand out to her.

"I'm Saburo. My dad and uncle talked about you quite a bit."

She stared at the hand curiously, slowly taking it in her own.

"Nice to meet you, hand shaking a western custom?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I picked it up when I visited the States for a break when I was 15. My father finds it annoying but supports the cultural differences within our family." He grinned, and she swore he looked just like InuYasha.

Her heart started hurting.

"Y-Yeah… Is your hair naturally white?"

He didn't answer, instead looking down the hall.

"I'm kinda lost, mind helping me find my class?"

"Oh, sure." She looked back at her friend and Kyoya. "I'll see you guys in class." She waved at them, walking off with Saburo as he continued to talk with her.

Tamaki and Kyoya stood with their mouths wide open, shocked at the quick development between the two.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up and turned away from the two of them, an unease in his heart at seeing the conversation.

* * *

"My dad and uncle are really into old legends and stories from around here, they both really like the same one. You know the Shikon no Tama and the Shikon Miko? The same one that Satoshi has in his little shack?"

"Yeah, you like that one?"

"Mhm, I think it's really incredible that you share the name of the priestess."

She shrugged, making sure she didn't dare glance at him.

"Yeah. I suppose it is."

"Do you believe in them?" he asked her, they stopped walking and she turned to him, her gaze questioning.

"Believe in what?"

"Demons, ghosts, supernatural things I guess. Do you?"

"Of course I do," she smiled and laughed lightly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Behind every legend is a true story, you know." She grinned cheekily at him, wagging her pointer finger and winking.

He gently took her hand and pushed it back down to her side, he seemed so serious all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

The Host Club was filled with the low buzz of chatter, and one topic.

And Tamaki was starting to let his ire show.

"-But did you _see_ Saburo? _He's tall_ , handsome, and his hair is white- _white_! How cool is that? He's like the rebel child of the Tashio corporations and still in line to take over a branch of it once he's done with college."

Tamaki "tch"-ed to himself, but one of his guests rose a delicate eyebrow at him.

"Is something wrong, Tamaki?"

"No, _no._ Princess, why would you ever say something is wrong?"

"Well," she blushed at his direct attention, "you seem to be disengaged in our conversation. Do you not know who Saburo is?"

"Oh, I know who he is, and I must say that I am curious about who he is- and how come he seems to be getting so much attention. He can't be more elegant than I," he placed his tea cup down to emphasize. "Is he more charming?" He pushed his bangs back and sighed, "is he more charismatic, more exciting? Does he make your hearts flutter just as I do, Princess?" he was seeming to grow angry, irritated, and the girls around him leaned away from him, glancing at each other.

"Umm…" One of them breathed, not quite sure what was going on.

"Is he as original as I? What about thoughtful? Does he shower you in praise that you deserve? For all the precious petals and flowers you are. Is he proactive, is he as powerful as I? Can he make you feel safe and loved? Is he a leader? Or a mere mindless little follower that can't seem to think for his self-"

"Excuse me, Ladies." Kyoya cut in, Tamaki's fists clenched white around his knees. "It seems that there is an emergency and I'll need to borrow Tamaki. May I?"

One of the girls nodded mutely, and another whispered "O….ok." shakily, not quite sure how to take Tamaki's change of attitude.

"What is it Kyoya?" Tamaki asked him as he followed the other male across the room towards the "stock" room, where the kitchens were and also wardrobe.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kyoya turned on him then once the two were in the kitchen. Tamaki glanced to the side, looking embarrassed and ashamed.

"Tamaki, we're trying to run not just a club but a _business_. And scaring away our _valued customers_ is **not** a good business model."

Tamaki sighed, leaning against the counter.

"I don't know what happened, honestly I don't. He's been here for weeks now. Usually rumors and gossip dies down. _Why_ hasn't this? He's not so great." Tamaki crossed his arms and huffed like a child. Kyoya stared at him with wide eyes and slightly open mouth, before pinching his eyes as a headache started to grow.

"So… You're telling me that you're _jealous_ of him?" Kyoya was trying _really_ hard to be patient with Tamaki, but- but _that was just ridiculous!_

"Don't patronize me for being jealous of him, I see the way you stare at him and Kagome. You don't like him just as much as I don't. You don't like how close they're getting as friends when she will barely even _look at you_." Tamaki was breathing heavily. He opened the door quietly so the two of them could see over the room.

Where Saburo was seated with Tamaki's **_customers_**! He laughed with them, kissed a girl's hand he was sitting next too, then went over to Kagome. He bowed to her, took her hand and kissed it. They stood up together and walked out of the door together, Kagome already have told them all that she was leaving club duty early in order to get caught up and raise her grade in her classes, she was going to Saburo's house to meet his family.

Tamaki closed the door again and looked at Kyoya, whose head was tilted down so the light reflected just right off of his glasses where you couldn't see them. His shoulders were slumped, and his cheeks tinted red in embarrassment and anger.

"We have a common enemy, let us not fight amongst ourselves." Tamaki approached him, and took his hand out for Kyoya to shake. "This is the time for us to all be closer together, not fall apart."

* * *

"Nervous?" Saburo asked as he opened the limo door for her, Kagome smiled shyly and nodded, climbing in and sitting down on the other side from him.

"Well, yeah. I know it's just your family but to me they're a very _powerful_ family, one that could possibly want me as an intern or apprentice and I'm just- I don't know, scared I guess."

She shifted uncomfortably in the seat, and Saburo chuckled and leaned back.

"The great Kagome Higurashi, _scared_?"

She laughed nervously, shifting just slightly farther away from him.

"Yeah, hard to believe, right?"

Saburo leaned back, folding his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.

"You have no idea." He murmured.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry to introduce a new character so quickly and have the story develop without a lot of attention to the in-between, but I was really excited and wanted the story to develop further along. Since Kyoya's and Kagome's last tift the two of them haven't been on good terms and,- oh, what's this? Kyoya's**_ jealous _**of Saburo's relationship with Kagome?!**_

 ** _Review please!_**


	11. Family Matters

(Chapter 11)

Saburo's home was more than just a _mansion_. It was like ten mansions all put together across the grand estate. It was hidden within the mountains farther out than the school sat, easily covering 20 acres on either side of just forest.

Kagome's eyes were wide as the limo approached.

"This is…"

"It's smaller than I remember." Saburo joined her at the window of the limo, looking at the large lights that lined the driveway(s).

"What do you mean?"

"Hmm?" Saburo looked at her then blinked. "Oh, I've been living in Europe with my mother. Dad and her haven't been getting along so I went with her when I was 11, enrolled in school there and lived my life, well, there."

"So where have you been staying?"

Saburo pointed at a smaller, more modest home hidden in the trees farther.

"I haven't actually been to the main house in years, The day before my first day at Ouran was my first time inside there in years, my father isn't necessarily the "forgive and forget" kind of man, you understand?" Kagome gulped and nodded.

"Yeah, I think I do." She squeaked out, suddenly feeling so very small in the limo.

It pulled towards the front of the home and stopped, Saburo pushed the door open first then held it open for her to climb out of. She held her backpack in her hands, her knuckles turning white as it suddenly became increasingly harder for her to walk forward.

The entrance was _huge_ , even bigger than the one at Ouran. A high hanging chandelier of… Amber?

"What is that?" Kagome asked, looking at the honey colored stones reflecting the light.

"Amber," Saburo and someone else said at the same time. Saburo and Kagome looked up towards the large staircase, and at the top stood a beautiful woman who looked a little _too_ young to be Saburo's mother.

She descended the stairs wearing a flowing traditional kimono, her black hair done in a simple bun but accented with hanging jewels, as if the start of her hair was a waterfall and the gems were the water. She was a beautiful woman, using a simple cherry blossom fan to hide the bottom part of her face as she came down to greet the two of them.

"I am Saburo's mother, Mrs. Tashio." She said as she approached, she moved as if she glided on air. Her eyes were low lidded with red eyeliner that accented her deep brown eyes very well.

"It's a pleasure and honor to meet you, Tashio-sa-" Kagome bowed, but the woman smacked her on the shoulder with the fan and had it covering her mouth again before Kagome could get a look at the bottom part of her face.

"I will have none of that in my presence. Please, my husband has been looking forward to meeting with you ever since Satoshi and his son spoke of interest in you." She looked to her son, "take your guests bag to the main living room, you will study in there once she is done. I will have one of our servants bring tea out." Saburo nodded, taking Kagome's bag and disappearing around the corner, the woman gestured with her head for Kagome to follow her.

Distantly she could hear Saburo asking someone where the main living room was.

* * *

The halls transformed from polished marble and tile to hard wood floors and traditional Japanese styling wall paper, beautifully painted pictures hung on the wall, all depicting something- some sort of battle.

And a pink gem.

Her eyes widened as she faltered in her steps.

 _No._

"Kagome." It wasn't a question, the woman stood turned towards her, waiting for her to catch up. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, and started towards the older woman slowly.

"S-Sorry, interesting pieces of art work." Kagome said, scolding herself internally. Saburo said his father and uncle were interested in the Shikon no Tama and Shikon Miko legend, of course there would possibly be artwork of it-

"We're here, knock and enter when he tells you too." Kagome nodded towards the older woman, she turned around and snapped her fan shut, walking away.

Kagome never got to see her face.

She sighed, and knocked on the door timidly. Her mind wandered back to the paintings.

"Enter." A low voice said. Kagome pushed open the door.

It could only be a coincidence, right?

 _Wrong_.

There, sitting behind a large oak desk, was none other than Sesshoumaru himself, his long white hair tied up, his marking on his face showed, and little reading glasses were perched on his nose.

He looked up at her, and her blood ran cold.

"Miko." He addressed her, a strange look coming across his face as he stood.

"Sess-Sesshoumaru." She sputtered, walking towards him slowly. Her hand came up shakily as she approached him, her finger touched his skin, and then her hand had cupped his cheek. Her thumb ran over his markings as tears ran down her own cheeks that she didn't even realize were there.

"Y-you're, you're here. You're here. You're alive." She mumbled, and ended up kept repeating as she just stood there like an idiot, touching his face.

She blinked after his own hand cupped hers, and he placed a delicate, out of character, kiss to her wrist.

And suddenly she remembered all the times he's tried to kill her.

* * *

"And so… Satoshi _is_ really Shippo's Son?" Kagome said finally, after about a good hour and a half of just sitting (very tensely the first half hour actually) talking with Sesshoumaru. He nodded, taking a drink from his tea as he motioned to the diagram they ended up drawing together to better help explain the lineage lines to her.

"Shippo is Satoshi Senior, the Satoshi you worked for is his son, yes."

"His only son?"

"Shippo only married and mated once. His mate died not long after Satoshi turned 10 in human years, and he never found another."

Kagome frowned, upset at this information.

"And explain to me again how you all figured out it was me? The real me?" She asked hesitantly, finally having calmed down enough to enjoy tea.

"Satoshi remembered the way Shippo used to tell him stories about you, and all those paintings are actually done by Shippo when he's on retirement. Shippo also had a piece of clothing you left behind that he found a protection spell for. He saved the smell and state it was in, and that was how Satoshi recognized your scent."

"Shippo's on retirement? But I thought he was full demon, he should be younger than you are." Kagome said, and Sesshoumaru actually _chuckled_ at that. Kagome shifted nervously in her seat.

"In his human 'guise he is an older man of a rich company that just likes to sit at his lake house and paint stories. He is harmless. But you are correct, he is in his late twenties looking, just older than Satoshi."

" _That's_ why they look so similar." She gasped, but then drew her eyebrows together. "Was Satoshi's mother Human?"

"She was a half demon herself, but she died in unfortunate circumstances that I must say are not mine to tell."

Kagome nodded quietly, drinking her tea.

"Knowing that your previous family still lives and exists, would you think about joining our company and work directly under Shippo and Myself as our apprentice?"

"What would happen to me later?"

"You would be able to control a third of the company. My oldest son gets the medical research, Shippo's oldest has the technology. You would have your hands in both."

"What about Saburo?"

Sesshoumaru's face changed then, a bit disgusted if anything.

"He is InuYasha's spawn, not mine. InuYasha and his mate both died after the child was born, I took him in as my own. I gave him his name, I gave him my name, and I gave him life. But he has no ties to my company."

Kagome's suddenly resembled a fish with how wide her mouth was hanging open.

"Kagome, if anything. You are the mother of this company. It was because of you and your knowledge of the future that Shippo and I were able to build this company at all. We can easily draw up documents that show you are the great granddaughter of my aunt. And no one would question."

She was still surprised.

"We are the most powerful family in Japan."

"Does Saburo know that he isn't getting a part in the company? Does he know his true lineage?" She demanded instead. Sesshoumaru blinked, and rubbed his temples with the sudden surge in her powers.

"Keep your temper under control." He said at first, Kagome's eyes widened as she moved to touch his hand.

"How dare you tell me to-" she shocked him. She stared at her hand as it left an angry red welt on the back of his hand. But, how? Just hours ago she was touching his face like a lover would and nothing happened like that!

"Your powers are not under control," he stated, moving back from his desk to look the in the drawers around it. She was still staring at her hand.

"Honestly I thought I didn't have them anymore. I can't sense anything."

"Saburo knows his true lineage and his ties." Sesshoumaru said, changing the subject back to what caused her to lose her temper in the first place. "I claim him as my youngest son and that is what he is presented. His "mother" felt that he was being cheated and wouldn't stand for it any longer, so she moved and bribed him to go with her." His hands were folded back over a folder on the desk with a green paste applied to the back of his hand. "And that really removed him out of my good graces, as a way to redeem himself this was his test. To find and befriend you. He has done so, has done well, so I may consider leaving a healthy sum of money to him. Although the damn wench still believes I'm cheating him, he seems to be happy just being able to talk to me again." Sesshoumaru grumbled out at the end, and Kagome couldn't help laughing at that.

"So, I guess in some way, he and your other children could be my cousins?"

Sesshoumaru smiled at her laughter, "I suppose so."

* * *

"Kagome," Kyoya approached her at the end of their club hours, she just finished putting the left over tea cups on a tray to be washed at a later time. She glanced at him for a moment before going back to continue cleaning up her area. "I would like to have a word with you."

"You are having a word with me Kyoya, in fact you're having quite a few. Is there more you wish to say or did you just want to point that out?" She put the saucers on the tray as well, turning to him and wiping her hands free of sugar.

He sighed, rubbing his temples as he flipped his notebook open to their schedule over the past two weeks.

"You've been missing a lot of club hours, usually I don't say who you can and can't see in your off time, but your grades have improved as well as your mood."

She raised her eyebrow at him, crossing her arms and leaning back on her hip.

"What are you trying to say, Kyoya? _'Good job on getting your act together'_? That's not your style-"

"You're right, it's not." He snapped his notebook closed and cut her off, she looked shocked before settling back into a frown. "I'm telling you that you ditching club activities and duties to spend time Saburo is in bad tastes not only with us- your _friends_ , but also within the school."

"So, what? You don't want me to spend any more time with him- is that it?"

"No. I'm saying don't spend time with him when _you're supposed to be working_." He said, raising his own eyebrow.

"You told me to get my grades caught up, and I _am_ -"

"-At the expense of the club. We're losing prophets because you're not here with your scheduled clients and they go home early and are less likely to show up again at the next meeting."

"Well what do you want me to do, Kyoya? Do my homework here with them? Ask them meaningless questions about English lessons and French?"

"No-"

"-Because if you haven't noticed, I also _work_ during the weekends, when I can't study-"

"Stop hanging out with Saburo then." Kyoya finally snapped at her. His voice unintentionally echoing around the club room.

Hunny looked at Mori with wide eyes, and Mori just patted his blonde head; the new add-on's, Hikaru and Kaoru, glanced at each other with wide eyed and malicious grins; Tamaki stared at the two, his eyes wide. He slowly started towards the two of them from the other side of the room, his slow walk turning into a brisk pace.

"S-Stop _what_?" Kagome spluttered, her eyes wide. She glared at him, her fists clenched at her sides as she squared her shoulders and stood up to his chest, poking him rather firmly. "I will do no such thing, Kyoya Ootori. He's my friend!"

"He's a liability to the club!" Kyoya argued back.

"The only liability he is to anything is to _me_ -"

"And you're apart of this club, apart of this business we need everyone here that's apart of this-"

"Then maybe I'll just quit the club!" She yelled at him. Her voice harsh and angry as it bounced against the walls.

Everyone in the room gasped, and Tamaki was running towards them waving his arms.

Kyoya didn't say a word, he wasn't even sure he was breathing. But that was impossible because his chest _hurt_.

"Y-you'll… What?" He whispered.

"That's right," she said, her shoulders still square but her tone now unsure. "I'll quit the club if I you say I have to stop seeing Saburo."

"Fi-" Kyoya was about to speak but Tamaki yelled and jumped in their way, grabbing Kagome's shoulders and shaking her.

"Kagome! Please don't! Kyoya wasn't serious! We're all so happy and _proud_ of you for getting your grades back up! Saburo is a great friend to you- he helps you, he's so nice to you. Of course you can continue seeing him-"

Kagome pushed his hands off her shoulders, she took small steps back and away from the two of them, slowly heading back towards the door. Her heart was beating hard in her chest.

"I-I don't know, Tamaki." She looked to the other members, and they seemed to be just as upset as she felt, and Tamaki looked so heartbroken and _lost_.

"I… I'll think it over this school break," she grabbed her bag and shouldered it, looking over everyone in the room. "I'll see you guys when school starts up again in September." And with that she turned, and practically ran out of the room.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Ooooooo talk about development! I'm actually super proud of this chapter, mostly because it's longer than the other chapters. Let me know your thoughts! Review please!**_

 _ **ALSO! I have an active poll on my profile so please please please go see it! Thank you!**_


	12. Summer Make-ups

(Chapter 12)

"-And he said that?" Saburo gasped, his eyes wide as he and Kagome sat with Shippo, Satoshi, and Sesshoumaru on a private jet as they flew from Japan to… Wherever.

"Yes!" Kagome folded her arms against her chest, "Of all things! I should think about quitting."

"But you can't, just because of one person." Satoshi put in.

"If everyone quit what they were doing because of one person who was making it difficult there would be no businesses." Shippo pointed out, seated next to Kagome (naturally). She sighed, and rubbed her head.

"I suppose you're right, Shippo. But it's frustrating because he can be so _difficult_ -"

"As difficult as InuYasha was?" Shippo asked with a raised eyebrow, Kagome fished for her words to respond and Saburo turned his head away, suddenly disinterested in the conversation.

"We-well _no_ , Kyoya and I certainly don't fight like InuYasha and I did."

"I think Kyoya likes you," Saburo pointed out, looking at her again. Kagome blinked rather owlishly with her mouth open.

"He _what?_ No, Kyoya doesn't like me, he finds me annoying-"

"Did he say that?" Satoshi rose an eyebrow, and suddenly Kagome flushed in embarrassment at the attention she was getting at her and her newly-brought-to-light love-life.

"No, but you can tell with the way he acts and treats me."

"Maybe, but you can smell the repressed attraction." Saburo's nose scrunched up. "It's like the more he wants it to go away the more it grows and he's getting so frustrated by it. Really it's funny to watch." Saburo waved his hand as he spoke.

"So… Kyoya really _does_ like me?" Kagome said in a small voice, and Saburo nodded.

* * *

Kagome sat at the back of the plane with Shippo, looking through the photographs he had with him of Satoshi when his son was very little, Kagome cooed and awed when she could, and Satoshi glared daggers at the two of them from over the back of a seat a couple rows up from them.

"He was adorable!" Kagome said, and Shippo nodded proudly of that.

"I know! Which makes me wonder what the hell went wrong along the way." He glared at his own son, who mocked shock as he waved his hand over his heart.

Kagome laughed and turned back through the pictures, her eyes wide as she saw something she wasn't expecting.

"Is that-"

"Rin?" Shippo grinned, looking down at the hand drawn picture of his late wife. She was sitting in front of a pond with little baby Satoshi; her hair was long and a lotus flower sat weaved into it, but her familiar checkered kimono was fitted to fit her grown adult body, and it was the only thing that Kagome recognized right away.

"How was she-? She must've been in her thirties by the time you were in your teens." Kagome asked, looking at the picture. Shippo laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, our relationship was strange. But she was even stranger. Sesshoumaru managed to make her life just 50 years longer- and that's all we needed, we both looked the same age when I married her. When we had Satoshi…" Shippo trailed off, and suddenly his green eyes were stretched and sad. "When Satoshi was about 10 in human years, still considered a toddler to us Demons, Rin was struck down by a raid on our village while Satoshi and I were travelling." Shippo's eyes were sad, but they weren't shining with tears as he stared almost desperately to her- his mother.

"Mom, we were gone for only a _night_."

* * *

The plane landed someplace in the United States, and Kagome wasn't exactly sure why she was brought along- or Saburo for that matter.

"I don't know why I'm here, I just wanted to come." Satoshi told the two of them, shrugging his own shoulders. Kagome rolled her bag through the airport and followed Sesshoumaru and Shippo in their human disguises, although Saburo was getting quite a few shocked stares.

"Shi-Satoshi," Kagome quickly corrected as she walked quicker to talk with him. Shippo looked down at her with a kind, and old smile. "Remind me again what I'm doing here?"

"You're here to learn about foreign policies, shareholders, as well as meet our foreign clients. You will be introduced as Saburo's cousin who has become interested in the business, and my own son is here to learn more about this as well."

"So why is Saburo here if he's not actually getting any part of the company?"

"It's hard to sell a story when you have details missing." Sesshoumaru spoke up, glancing at her from over his shoulder. Kagome looked back at Saburo- who was flirting with a guy?

Her eyes widened as he got the random guy's phone number and jogged to catch up with the small group.

"Saburo- what was that?" She asked, he grinned down at the number and showed it to her.

"His name is Kevin, he looked cute so I approached him, started a conversation- turns out he's visiting his family here from some place called 'Oree-gon'?" Saburo shrugged but smiled big. "So I got his number!"

"You're gay?" She blinked at him, staring at him with her mouth wide open. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow as they stopped walking.

"Well, yeah? Is that a problem?"

"No! No no no, it's just that- I didn't know." She stumbled over her words, her cheeks flushed. "I think it's wonderful! I'm so happy you got his phone number, I hope it all goes well."

Saburo was honestly surprised by her response, but grinned otherwise and grabbed her hand, dragging her along to catch up with the group.

* * *

Tamaki paced Kyoya's room, Mori and Hunny were seated on the couch, and Hikaru and Kaoru were exploring the different nooks and cranny's the other student's room had to offer. While Kyoya was still in bed, rubbing his eyes awake at the intrusion to his personal time.

"Tamaki we have three more weeks of summer vacation, you don't _need_ to see me every damn day." Kyoya spat, finally climbing out of bed and going down the stairs to the main area of his room where everyone was currently at- except the twins.

They seemed to have vanished.

"Kyoya we have to find some way for Kagome to stay in the club!"

"Why." He demanded. "She's been skipping club meetings and duties, she would've been kicked out already and not given a choice- at least I _gave_ her one."

"Yeah but making her choose about spending time with her cousin or us isn't the best of choices!" Hunny spoke up, pouting and crossing his arms.

"Perhaps but- _what_?" Kyoya spluttered.

"Cousin?!"Tamaki demanded, just as shocked.

Hunny looked to the two shocked teens and nodded slowly.

"Y-Yeah, it was published in an American newspaper just a few days ago that the owners of Tashio Corporations brought over their sons and a long lost cousin who was interested in the business, they even submitted a small family tree to show where the ties are." Hunny pulled the article up on his cellphone, producing it to Tamaki and Kyoya. "They even ran a small interview with them about how they found out about it, and Satoshi said that she looked a lot like a great aunt that had been lost to them after a bad storm hit the boat that their two family's had been on. So she's apparently the tie of the two families and their little "gem-child" as they called her."

Tamaki and Kyoya read the article on the small device.

"Cousins," Tamaki said breathlessly.

"They're family." Kyoya said, just as shocked. And suddenly feeling ashamed.

What had he done?

* * *

There was only a week of summer vacation left and Kagome spent her first three days back from the overseas adventures just laying in her room or around the house with Buyo her cat and her family.

Well, that was until the fourth day when Tamaki showed up at her doorstep wearing surf shorts and sporting a blue t-shirt. Her mother was the one who answered the door, she stared curiously at the blonde man as he bowed to her and waved.

"Is Kagome home? We haven't seen her all summer and were hoping that she could come to the beach with us today."

"Oh, well I see no problem with that." The older woman blinked as she turned towards the inside of the home.

"Kagome! You have guests!" The girl ran down the stairs, her hair tied up in a ponytail and wearing shorts with a flowing yellow shirt. She looked between her mother and Tamaki, her gaze curious as she studied his attire.

"What are you doing here, Tamaki?"

"We haven't seen you this entire break, Kagome. You're our friend and as such you are obligated to come out ONCE with us, and I demand that it be today!" He pointed to the ground in front of him, Hunny and Mori looked at Kagome from behind him, and briefly she wondered where they came from.

"Please Kago-chan?" Hunny's watery eyes pleaded with her as he held Usa-chan close to his heart. Mori nodded as well. Hikaru and Kaoru looked from behind them, also giving her pleading looks. Kagome sighed, and couldn't help the small smile that graced her face.

"Fine, fine. Let me get some of my things and I'll be right out-"

"I wanna go too!" Souta called out, running to the door. "Can I Sis, please?" He begged. "We haven't been to the beach all summer break!"

Kagome looked rather embarrassed then looked at Tamaki.

"Can my brother come? We don't usually get to do things often-"

"Well since our bills having been paid by our rich cousins we've been saving money in case of an emergency." Kagome's mother supplied, and Tamaki looked interested.

"You mean the Tashio family is supporting your shrine?"

"I suppose you could put it that way, yes." She tapped her cheek in thought.

"I'll go get my things." Kagome murmured, turning around from the crowded doorway and heading back upstairs, their mother turned around and went back into the kitchen, leaving Souta alone with the other club members.

"So can I?" he bounced up and down in excitement, and Tamaki looked back at the other members. They all shrugged.

"We're taking Kyoya's limo and going to their beach house, so it's up to him." Koaru pointed out, and Hikaru nodded in agreement.

"Yeah but he's not up here, should we bring him anyways? It won't matter, will it?" Tamaki asked them, the twins shrugged.

"I say we bring him." Hunny supplied, looking excitedly at Souta. "Maybe we can play together with Takashi!"

Souta grinned. "I'll be right out too!" He ran off with the door open, yelling excitedly as he skipped steps bounding up the stairs. Kagome came back down and stepped out of the way as her little brother came flying past her.

"He can come?" she asked, shouldering her familiar and worn yellow backpack, her bikini strap peaked out from her shirt.

"We agreed that it would be fun for him," Tamaki grinned down at her, and she smiled up at him and stepped to him, hugging him.

"It's nice to see you again, Tamaki."

Tamaki flushed, not really sure how to react to the sudden attention. He gently places his arms around her, patting her back affectionately.

"It's wonderful to see you again too, Kagome."

Souta came out with his own backpack full of things, and grinned at the group. Kagome smiled at her younger brother and patted his head.

"Are we all ready?" She asked them, they nodded their heads in unison and made their way down the shrine's grand steps.

Once they were all seated in the limo (and Souta's excitement at riding in one) did Kagome notice that someone was missing from their little merry band of men (and Kagome).

"Where's Kyoya?"

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at her as she was seated next to them, they then gave each other silent glances.

"He's already at the beach, unlocking the place, setting up the chefs and food. Ya know, being a good provider." Hikaru shrugged, and Kagome stared at him with her mouth open.

"We _are_ talking about the same Kyoya, right?"

"Well, maybe-" Kaoru started up before Tamaki cut in.

"Kyoya has had a few humanizing days these last few weeks, and feels rather guilty at how he's been treating you the last month or so. It was his idea at all that we go to the beach and bring you along."

She stared at him.

"Kyoya… feels _bad_ for something?"

* * *

"It can happen," Kyoya defended as he and Kagome talked once they all arrived, she stayed behind to question him and just… talk. They always had some sort of barely budding friendship, so could his bad attitude and arrogance keep her at bay because that's exactly what he wanted? To her it seemed rather far-fetched, but it wouldn't be the most surprising thing that had happened to her.

"Yes but it seems rather out of blue-"

"Out of the blue- why Kagome, you wound me." He faked placing a hand over his heart as he tilted his head. "I had a good month to reflect how I have been treating you and I deeply regret it."

She stomped her foot, her fists clenched as she had the urge to knock him sideways.

"Don't talk to me like I'm one of the customers! Kyoya I'm your friend, not someone you're trying to sell something to!"

He sighed deeply, his shoulders losing their tension as he stared down at her.

"Fine. I was treating you unfairly these last few months due to my own inexperience with foreign emotions and feelings, and this Host Club has grown on me and has become increasingly important to my life-"

"Why?"

"We'll get to that some other day," he waved her off. "I was jealous of your relationship with Saburo." He stared down at her then, and her heart was in her throat.

 _'Oh my gods Saburo was right.'_ Kagome thought to herself as an unwanted blush coated her cheeks, she looked off in the distance where her little brother was building sand castles with Hunny and Mori, Tamaki was (attempting) to play volleyball but it was him against the twins, so he wasn't doing very well.

"Well, I don't want to quit the club." She said, looking up at him from the corner of her eye. Kyoya's eyes widened as a small smile broke his face. "If anything I have an idea to contribute for later."

"I'm all ears."

"How about for summer vacation next year, we bring the customers to a beach paradise near a small town for four days? If anything it would be a cash-flow."

"Kagome, you're an uncertified genius."

"Well I certainly didn't get into Ouran for my money." She joked, giving a small snort of a laugh. And Kyoya couldn't help the small grin.

"So, friends?" he stuck his hand out for her to shake, but she only grabbed his finger tips and said:

"Acquaintances."

"We'll see," and he _winked_ at her.

 _He was flirting with her._

* * *

And he couldn't stop _staring_ at her once they got on the beach. She was in a fairly modest bikini but it still showed her well-toned stomach and legs and those _curves_ -

Kyoya coughed to himself, angling himself away from the girl and instead busied himself with the calculations and possibilities of what Kagome had suggested, and it was true- the numbers were in _their_ favor.

He smiled to himself secretly, denying his growing attraction for her for as long as he had was starting to turn into be more and more of a bad idea.

Maybe… Once they became actual friends, they could be just a little more?

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews and such and support of this story! I hope this chapter was good enough, it's a bit of a filler chapter but I still hope it was nice to read!**_

 _ **ALSO! I have an active poll on my profile so please please please go see it! Thank you!**_


	13. Practicing Etiquette

(Chapter 13)

Kagome apologized to Kyoya again once they were back in school about how her little brother and Hunny destroyed his kitchen, to which he gritted his teeth and eventually said that the expenses had already been paid for- by her other family and Hunny's.

But none of them were expecting the news that Saburo presented them after club activities that day.

"The head of the Ootori household and name has spoken with my father and he's rather interested in the commoner-turned-hieress of the Tashio name. He's invited me, you, my father, and Satoshi and his son to dinner in a few days."

Kagome and Kyoya gaped at Saburo, then looked at each other.

"Did you know about this?" Kagome asked him, and he shook his hands and his head.

"N-No! I had no idea that he was interested- well I guess anyone would be seeing as it's out of the blue and so strange but I suppose that it could be answered rather easily. I just didn't know that he was _interested_ \- interested.." Kyoya trailed off, stammering as his cheeks and ears were turning red. Kagome's own cheeks were red in embarrassment as she looked over at Saburo.

"When did you find this out?"

"Se-," Saburo coughed, "-my _dad_ just called me, told me to let you know. He had just got off the phone with Ootori, and the man seems very interested in _you_."

Kagome groaned, looking helplessly at Kyoya, then looking over at Tamaki.

"Well I don't know how to eat like a rich man, someone teach me how."

"WE WILL!" The twins shouted, climbing over the other and raising their hands.

* * *

"Like this?"

It was an entire club thing- to the point where they actually _canceled_ club that day just to teach her proper table etiquette, as well as possible ways to dress. The twins even brought over some nice gowns that their mother designed a few seasons ago, in their personal opinion it was rather tacky but for a chance to impress _the_ Tashio family, they were going to flaunt their merchandise.

Kagome sighed, now walking around in heels. Hikaru held her hand as he led her around the room, Tamaki was going over a check list on what else to teach Kagome, and as she looked back at it she could feel the beginnings of a headache.

"Will there be dancing, do you think?" She asked the twin, he looked at her then back at the small group in the middle of the room, then shrugged.

"Usually there's not, but the Ootori's aren't known to do things the practical way. I would ask Kyoya that."

She sighed.

* * *

"one, two, three-" Tamaki directed them, tapping the floor where Kagome's feet were supposed to go. "One, two, three-" and they moved again, rather stiffly too. Kyoya had reverted back to the "cool" type of host that he was known to be, and to be fair she didn't blame him. She had her cheeks puffed out in a pout as she held her gaze at his tie, her cheeks tinted red as they moved.

"You two are soooo boring to watch," Hikaru called out, and Kaoru was asleep on his lap. Hunny was tiredly sucking on a candy, and Mori had to constantly nudge him awake to make sure he didn't choke on it.

"Sadly I agree with the twin," Tamaki sighed, crossing his arms as the music died down. "There's no flair, no spark between the two of you."

"Hey!" Hikaru called out, but he was ignored.

"Well, what do you want _us_ to do, Tamaki-"

"You want his family to _like_ you, right? You want them to find you charming, admirable, adorable-"

She frowned at him.

"-maybe not adorable, but charming and admirable nevertheless. And even if your table etiquette has improved, and you can skip in heels, if you can't wow him on the dance floor then how can you work your way into his heart?"

And suddenly there was rose petals falling from the ceiling, falling around Tamaki and his dramatic speech. Kagome stared at Tamaki and missed the blush coating Kyoya's cheeks.

"Work my way into whose heart?" She missed the almost panicked glance Tamaki sent Kyoya, he then laughed nervously but charmingly and took her into his arms instead, sweeping her across the floor.

"Dancing is the music of the body, and if two people move well together, they will work together." He set her into a spin, then brought her back to his chest, pulling her comfortably against him as they continued their waltz. "Dancing is unspoken passion, it's words with the eyes, love with the feet, and music with every twist and turn your body makes-"

Kyoya stepped in then, taking Kagome's shoulders as Saburo grabbed Tamaki's.

"I believe that is enough," Kyoya spoke up, removing her from Tamaki's grasp. "But do you understand?" He then glanced down at her, and she seemed rather dazed.

"I…" her words drifted off. "I never knew dancing could be so fun!" the life suddenly brought to her eyes and her lips split into a large grin as she turned to Kyoya, bouncing on the toes of her feet. "Can we dance like that?"

He smiled charmingly down at her, and held her at arm's length as he bowed to her and she curtsied, Saburo started the music up again, with Tamaki tied at his feet. Kyoya drew her to him, and easily led her around the dance floor just as Tamaki had- only better.

"Of course we can."

She smiled and laughed, finally.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter, but look at our two little sorta-lovebirds get along, isn't that nice? No more fighting? Let's hope, fingers cross. You know how lovers quarrel. Review please!**_

 _ **ALSO! I have an active poll on my profile so please please please go see it and vote! Thank you!**_


	14. This is More than a Crush

(Chapter 14)

Kyoya and Kagome road back to her home in silence after school and the club duties a few days later, the sun low in the sky but not yet setting. She rubbed her neck and stretched it out, groaning as the muscles stretched and were tense.

"A knot in your neck?" Kyoya asked, straightening his tie for the third time, and Kagome looked over at him before nodding slowly.

She sighed, continuing to rub her neck.

"Yeah, I've been stressed the last few days for the upcoming exam we have in world history, and also about the dinner with your family tomorrow night."

Kyoya nodded silently, lowering his head just enough for the light outside to reflect off his glasses.

"I… Am confident in my knowledge about our upcoming exam, I could… possibly help you study." He finished off quieter than when he started, a light blush tinting his cheeks. Kagome looked at him shocked, a light dusting of pink covering her own cheeks.

"I would like that," she smiled at him.

* * *

"Oh Kagome! Wonderful that you're home," her mother came out of the kitchen as Kagome and Kyoya entered the home, and she stopped and looked between the two teens curiously. "You didn't tell me one of your friend's would be joining us." She said as she dried her hands on a hand towel.

"Yeah, sorry Momma. It was a last minute thing." Kagome said, slipping her shoes off and Kyoya followed her example. Her mother hummed as she stared at the two of them. "Kyoya is going to help me study for one of our tests, if that alright?"

"Well I suppose it will have to be," her mother sighed, "but first you have some shrine duties and a small tour to give first, the group will be here in about a half hour, and it should last about 20 minutes. You'll need to do those first and then you can study with your friend." She turned around and headed into the kitchen, Kagome smiled apologetically to Kyoya before leading him up the stairs to her room.

"You can stay in here while I'm doing chores, or you can watch Souta play his video games." Kagome shrugged, placing her bag at the end of her bed and opening up her closet, bringing out her Miko uniform. Kyoya stared around her room, looking at the paintings on her wall, and the computer on her desk.

Kagome left her room to change, coming back in and tying her hair back at the nape of her neck loosely. Kyoya looked up at her from the edge of her bed, having his notes laid around him. She smiled at him weakly, grabbing her wooden sandals, and she waved as she left the room.

* * *

Kyoya read through his notes once more before looking up and out the window of Kagome's room. The slowly lowering rays bathed Kagome's white walls (that had a faint paint smell to it) in reds, and pinks. He looked around her room, studying the pictures that the older Satoshi had painted for her. He looked over at a poster that hung on her closet, and then noticed tucked away in the back in the corner, was an old looking re-curve bow. Kyoya got up slowly and bent down to get a closer look at it without actually touching it. There were old symbols etched onto the side of it, and the bow itself looked remarkably well for how old it was made to be.

Kyoya stood up once he heard faint singing, and he looked out the window towards the large tree. He peered out the window, and saw Kagome humming as she swept the grounds. A stray flower petal from a nearby tree fluttered down, and it landed in Kagome's hair. She looked up as it landed in her bangs, and she smiled and took it out of her hair, letting it sit in her hand as she continued humming, and the wind blew it away gently.

Kyoya held his chest suddenly, not sure why his heart was thudding painfully at the sight of _her_ , and just the sun rays as they hit her hair and her smile and her _eyes_.

 _"This is more than just an attraction."_ Kyoya thought suddenly, taking careful steps back from the window.

* * *

The small tour group that decided to come was a bunch of girls younger than Kagome herself as well as a few boys. They were looking around at the attractions, and the older looking girl (and also the tallest) crinkled her nose in disgust at the hangings.

"How tacky."

The others around her chuckled at the comment, while a small girl looked uncomfortable being there. They all stood in the center of the courtyard, looking at everything. Kagome sat the broom against the Goshinboku, and approached the group with a stretched smile.

"Welcome," she bowed to them, and only the smaller girl bowed back before realizing she was the only one; she blushed in embarrassment as she stood up and shifted towards the back of the group.

"How long has this shrine been here?"

"Our shrine has stood here for over 300 years," Kagome shifted and gestured to the Goshinboku. "Our sacred tree has been here for over 700, possibly 1,000 years; also our scared well has also been here for many hundreds of years."

"There isn't a lot to this shotty little thing, is there?" The tall girl asked, seeming to be the leader of the group. Kagome stared at them with slightly wide eyes before shaking her head slowly.

"We're not as well funded as some of the other shrine's around, but we do well for ourselves with what donations we do make."

"Wait," a guy spoke up, eyes wide as he pointed at her. "You're that Tashio's lost cousin, right?"

"Yes-" no sooner was the words out of her mouth did the group start laughing, all except the small girl in the back.

"That's so fucking _stupid_ ," another guy commented. "You're nothing, this shrine is nothing. You'd think with a rich family backing you that they'd support this crappy little shrine more." The group busted out laughing again, and Kagome frowned at them.

"Not all shrines have to be large to be considered places of worship-"

"No, but look at your place." The girl commented, looking at the house where the shingles on the roof were falling apart. "It's falling down-"

"I'm sure you didn't schedule a tour just to belittle my work and home." Kagome crossed her arms, cocking her hip and frowning at the young teenagers.

"You're right, I didn't. My daddy did since he's trying to get us more _involved with community_. Ha." The girl turned her cheek and Kagome noticed her diamond earrings glinting in the low light.

"But this isn't even worth what money he spent, this place is _falling apart_. Like seriously, does anyone even come here to pray anymore? Don't they fear that the little roof over the shrine will fall on top of them?"

Kagome gritted her teeth.

"You're barely befitting a family of such a name and power, and your shrine certainly doesn't deserve their attention or mine either." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and Kagome frowned deeply at them.

"I even bet that _'Shikon'_ story is something that was made up by your crazy grandfather, am I right?" and the way she lazily grinned at Kagome made her hand tighten to where blood started dripping down her hand.

"I-Izumi, I don't think you should say things like that." The small girl grabbed and tugged on her friend's hand.

 _"Made up."_ The girl's words rang in her head over and over, and Kagome stared at the ground under their feet with wide eyes. _"Made up."_

* * *

 _"-Kagome!" InuYasha ran up to her, holding onto her tightly and bringing her face to his shoulder so she didn't see what Naraku did to Sango. One of his tentacles stabbed her right through the chest and lifted her into the air, tearing her body in two and throwing it behind him into the trees._

 _But she_ saw _. And she couldn't scream. Miroku fell to his knees, screaming with rage and horror as his beloved- his wife, was forcefully ripped from him. The poison from the Miasma he sucked up bringing him down and weak, but he continued to do it- because that monster took his wife so what was the point in living any longer?_

* * *

"Why not?" The girl tore her arm away from the small one, and Izumi glared at her. "But it's true, that's how they get their stupid donations and wrap their hands around unsuspecting people! By making up stupid fake stories!"

 _"Fake?"_ Kagome snapped at them, her eyes red as anger coursed through her veins. The wind spiked suddenly, before only being a gentle breeze. The smaller girl's eyes widened as she realized that Kagome was bleeding.

"Yeah! _Fake_." Izumi sneered at her, and even the boys of the group were stepping away from her, seeing the anger in the priestess' eyes. "It's gets more and more outrageous every time someone repeats it! A priestess falls in love with a demon and out of jealousy a man sells himself to demons just to turn them against each other?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes, making fake barfing sounds. "That's sounds like something a premature 13 year old would write."

And suddenly the ground shook beneath them, and Izumi's eyes widened as she realized that girls' eyes in front of her were glowing _white_.

 ** _"Leave!"_** She commanded, her voice accented by sounds of rumbling thunder and a burst of white light shot out from her form pushing them all back with such a force that they all fell back onto the court yard stones. Kagome stalked up to them, and she tugged on Izumi's shirt as the girl tried to scoot back and away from her. Kagome easily lifted the girl's form off the ground, and even held the girl above her head. Kagome's eyes still glowed white as they narrowed at her.

 **"What is your name?"** She demanded, and Izumi whimpered as she kicked her legs helplessly. **"WHAT IS YOUR NAME-"** Kagome yelled at her, and Izumi cried out.

"I-Izumi Yam-yamamoto." She cried, and Kagome dropped her on the ground. Izumi stared at the priestess before her with wide eyes and fear.

"Leave," Kagome whispered to her, her eyes fading back to blue. She stared down at the girl with a small frown but a blank face, not showing how exhausted she suddenly felt. When Izumi refused to move, Kagome bent down and got close to her face. " _Run_." She whispered this time, and Izumi's brown eyes widened even more. She scrambled to her feet, screaming as she ran down the stairs. The rest of the group followed closely behind, all except for the smallest girl who sat dazed but resolved still on the ground.

Kagome gave her a solemn look, before turning around and going back to the Goshinboku, grabbing the broom when she got close. The small girl got up slowly, and Kagome turned back to her. The girl gave a deep bow, then stood up and ran down the stairs herself.

Kagome sighed, sitting down at the base of the tree and leaning back against it, watching the stars slowly come out as the sun's rays lowered even father against the house.

Souta turned away from the window he was watching out of.

* * *

"What happened out there?" Kyoya asked Kagome softly, once she came back inside and changed again. It was tense and quiet for about 10 minutes before he broke it. Kagome only shook her head, her bottom lip trembling but Kyoya could tell she was trying extremely hard not to cry.

He sighed, pushing their notes aside and grabbing her hand. She looked up at him startled and he could see clearly how very _close_ she was to crying. It was bold, he knew, but something in him told him to do it.

So he did.

He gathered her in his arms and brought her to his lap, and tucked her head into his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. Slowly, her own arms wrapped around his torso, and her shoulders started to shake as she silently cried into him.

Kyoya leaned back against her bed, closing his eyes as he just… held her.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you so much for everyone who has supported this story so far! We're not anywhere CLOSE to finishing, but I thought I'd say thanks anyways!**_

 _ **ALSO! BY NEXT UPDATE I WILL BE CLOSING THE POLL, SO HURRY TO GET THOSE VOTES IN IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY PLEASE!**_

 _ **Thank you! And review!**_


	15. Saburo's Past

(Chapter 15)

"Are you ready?" Saburo asked her as he zipped up the back of her forest green dress. Kagome shook her head slowly, taking a deep breath to expand the rib part of the dress. She winced as a pain went up her side and she rubbed the place tenderly.

"This dress is kinda tight." She commented, looking up at Saburo, he only shrugged, flipping up the collar of his suit and moving to find a tie that matched his own dates suit (eyes).

"Well, it wasn't tailored to fit you, it was tailored to fit your generic size." He commented, pulling out some dark ties. "Brown is such an awful neutral color."

"So don't wear it." Kagome told him, sitting down on a couch in his room in the main mansion again. "It was nice of Sesshoumaru to let you live in the mansion again." Kagome commented, pulling the back part of her black heels up to sit comfortably against the back of her heel.

"Yeah, Dad can be nice sometimes." Saburo shrugged offhandedly then turned around to her, where she had sat up with a bewildered look on her face. "Now _seriously_ , his eyes are brown but brown is such an ugly color for anything but his _eyes-_ " Kagome held her hand up and walked over to him, taking the two ties he held in his hand and putting them back.

"Who is he?"

"That Kevin guy. You remember him? From our trip to America. Since Da- Sesshoumaru was so busy showing you the ropes of things he left me alone mostly so Kevin and I met up a couple times and so…" Saburo blushed, rubbing the back of his head. Kagome's eyes widened.

"So you bought him a plane ticket just to _go_ to this dinner?"

"Well- _no_." Saburo stuttered, his cheeks flaming up some more as he spoke. "He wanted to visit Japan anyways and see what the country was like so he's actually staying for a week. It just so happened that this party was happening when he was here so I… asked him to join us."

Kagome rolled her eyes, giving Saburo a soft smile.

"Well, do you have a picture of him?" Saburo grinned at her.

* * *

With the tie situation sorted out, and Kagome's hair done up in a nice bun with little crystals woven in with them, they sat in audible silence as Saburo touched up her finger nails that she messed up painting herself.

"You're the stereotypical gay friend," Kagome mumbled, falling asleep where she was sitting. Saburo's chuckle was deep but he smiled rather contentedly either way. Kagome sighed deeply, her nose crinkling at the harsh scent of the polish.

She stared down at Saburo, really studying his features. He did look a lot like InuYasha, but he also looked enough like Sesshoumaru that he could be passed as his youngest child.

"You called Sesshoumaru your dad earlier." Kagome pointed out, suddenly cursing her mouth for running on its own with the ashamed look Saburo unwittingly gave her.

"Umm, yeah. He's been as much of a father to me as I could ask for."

"What about his other children? How did they treat you?"

"We played, we acted like siblings." He told her, blowing on her nails to help dry them faster. "But…"

"He treated them like they were his actual children?"

"Because they were." Saburo pointed out, raising a fine eyebrow at her comment. Kagome rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Just finish painting. We have to leave in like an hour."

"Right." He nodded. They continued in silence again for a moment longer.

"Does it bother you that you won't be getting a part in the company?" Kagome asked him suddenly, and Saburo exaggerated rolling his eyes at her. She pouted at him.

"No, not really. Not as much as Kagura likes to makes it seem. She was really against Sesshoumaru's decision to keep me from the company name and fortune, but I never once cared for it. When she left to go to Europe, I had thought by then that Sesshoumaru would never love me like a father would his son, so when Kagura said that she would find me a father that would love me like I deserved to be loved- I left without a second thought."

Kagome stared at him, wide eyed but he continued to fix her nails.

"But when Sesshoumaru called those couple months ago, and asked for my help… I don't know, he never asked for my help before. I was hoping that this was my chance to finally get back in his good graces," he blew on her nails and held her hand, looking at his reflection in the wet paint. "Finding you. He needed me to find the Shikon Miko, Kagome Higurashi. To complete this broken family. I thought that if I did that, then maybe he would start to love me like I'm sure InuYasha would. I didn't even know who you were, I didn't know anything about you. I just agreed and figured that you were just some human and if Sesshoumaru wanted you in our family bad enough to ask _me_ for help- I would do it gladly, blind and all."

He moved to blow on her other hand.

"I didn't realize who you truly were until the night before I went to Ouran, I heard Sesshoumaru and Shippo talking about you. How they needed to see you, to see how much you've changed, how much you've grown since the war with Naraku. How you were probably the most important person in the world to them." His shoulders slumped, and if he had ears like InuYasha or Shippo they would be drooping too.

"And then I realized that I could never get the love of Sesshoumaru like that, and I've known him literally my entire life."

"You just want Sesshoumaru to love you like he does his own family." Kagome's eyes widened as she pulled one of her hands away to cover her mouth.

Saburo nodded slowly, looking up at her with such sad eyes that it made her heart ache.

"Or how he loves you."

* * *

Kagome sighed, twiddling her thumbs as she glanced between the sharply dressed men and woman of the limo.

 _Kami's she was nervous._

She couldn't confine in Saburo, he was wrapped up in clumsily introducing Kevin to Kagura and Shippo (Satoshi Sr.), while Satoshi himself was fixing his tie. Sesshoumaru was towards the front of the limo, going through papers with his small reading glasses on.

And Kagome was left alone in a corner, watching the excitement flow from person-to-demon, seeing as she and Kevin were the only humans there (but he didn't need to know any of that).

She fumbled with the fabric of the dress, pinching it and smoothing it out over and over again. She touched her earrings and then swept her hand across her forehead and touched her freshly trimmed bangs (and now she really _did_ look like Kikyo.)

Kagome sighed once more, holding her stomach as she suddenly felt very ill.

"We're here," Satoshi mumbled in her ear, and Kagome jumped slightly, looking up at his grinning face and his glasses that were slightly skewed. She smiled softly, reaching up to fix them, her fingertip barely brushing over his ear and shocking him ever so slightly. Their eyes were wide as she blushed and apologized.

"Wow, so that's what miko energy feels like?" he laughed to himself, grinning even bigger now as the limo slowed to a stop.

Everyone climbed out the limo; Saburo helping Kevin out, Shippo pushing his son out, and even Sesshoumaru helping Kagura out. Kagome was the last to exit but a hand was in her face, she looked up expecting to see Satoshi or Saburo but no-

Kyoya smiled down at her easily, and suddenly her nerves felt calmer but on fire all at once.

She gave him an uneasy smile back as he helped her out of the limo and placed her hand on his arm.

"Welcome, everyone. To the Ootori household." Kyoya bowed at the group, and the group bowed back. Kagome stood awkwardly, looking around the estate before her eyes widened once she saw the mansion.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry about the shorter chapter! But the poll is now closed and I am happy to present my new facebook page! You can find the link on my profile! **_

**_So how about some of that background for Saburo's character, right? I think I did pretty good on that. *high fives myself*_**

 ** _Review please! And I can't wait to write the dinner scene..._**


	16. Dinner for Two

(Chapter 16)

"Tashio-san, I expected to see your other children," Kyoya's father, Yoshio Ootori, mentioned after everyone was introduced and they bowed to the other. Sesshoumaru smiled charmingly, Kagura hanging off his arm like the temptress she was.

Kagome had chills running down the back of her spine at how odd it all seemed.

"Sadly my other children have their own lives and companies to run. They didn't see the appeal of accompanying us to this particularly informal dinner." Sesshoumaru spoke, looking down at Kyoya's father, a sharply dressed man with a small, narrow beard. Kyoya's father's smile stretched a bit too thin, but nodded otherwise.

"Of course, I understand. This gathering is a bit short noticed, but I am planning on hosting another annual Christmas party- I do hope you plan to make it, Tashio-san. You and your family."

"We will see-" Sesshoumaru nodded, but Kagome put her hand out.

"Well-" the group looked down at her, and she blushed suddenly at the attention she was getting. "I actually had an idea for the Host Club, Kyoya. I wanted to run it by you first but since this has to pertain to Christmas I thought I would bring it up now." Kyoya gave a small nod, and his father and Sesshoumaru looked on in curiosity.

"Well, there's a lot of celebration that goes into that holiday, correct? Since a lot of higher class citizens don't need to worry as much about it, perhaps the Host Club could strike an agreement with the school board and have our own Christmas Ball? We could have a raffle drawing that our customers could pay and buy tickets for and our winner would then be allowed to have a one-on-one dance with our most popular host, and perhaps even get a chaste little kiss out of it?"

"That's... actually not a bad idea." Kyoya blinked, holding his hand up to his chin as he thought. "Father, may Kagome and I be excused for the first half of the activities?" Kagome looked expectantly up at Sesshoumaru and Shippo, both of which nodded their agreement.

"This has nothing to do with her learning our business or negotiations, I see nothing wrong with letting her and your son run off to do their club planning."

Kyoya's father nodded and smiled tensely at them.

"They are right, Kyoya. You may go do your… Little club thing. But do be sure you two are back for dinner."

"Of course." The two of them bowed at the same time, Kyoya nodding to the side and Kagome following after him as she started to talk excitedly to him about the benefits it would have to the club.

As soon as the two were gone did Saburo look up to Sesshoumaru and Shippo.

"Can I go too?"

"But didn't you want to expose your date to more of our culture?" Sesshoumaru's raised eyebrow didn't deter Saburo, but he did make a good point.

"You're right, this is Kevin's first time in the country. I'm sure he would be excited to see our cultural differences." Saburo nodded, pulling his date closer to him and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Kevin laughed nervously, tugging on the collar of his shirt as he looked over to Fuyumi Ootori, Kyoya's sister who had graduated just a few years ago. She caught Kevin's eye and looked off to the side, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and blushing as she did so.

* * *

Kagome hobbled along behind Kyoya, taking her heels off as she talked her excitement about the idea she had. Kyoya turned around after opening his bedroom door, watching as she struggled with the buckle on her heel. She finally got it undone and kicked her heel off, grinning at him as she leaned heavily against the wall.

"They're tricky demons, I tell you." She laughed, picking them up and walking in the room ahead of him. Kyoya stared after her, his eyes wide as he was unsure on how to continue with their previous conversation.

He had… gotten distracted by the amount of cleavage he saw when she bent over in her dress.

His cheeks were tinted pink as he suddenly realized the rather scandalous position they were in.

But they were just going to discuss club activities! Right?

Right!

* * *

"This is an idea that I would expect Tamaki to have honestly." Kyoya said after a while with a whole bunch of papers spread around the two on his coffee table. Kagome laughed into her cup of tea, pulling it away from her face so she didn't spill any on her nice dress.

"I admit he was a muse to this idea, but no it would bring in some extra money for us and it really doesn't cost us anything- except for food. But I'm sure my uncle will help me. Ever since we found each other again he's been dotting on me like a daughter. He's been very supportive of my ideas, just as long as I take an active interest in the company."

Kyoya nodded, shuffling the papers around. "That's very generous of him."

Kagome nodded excitedly. "You're extremely lucky."

Kagome smiled softly, grabbing his hand and placing a soft kiss to his cheek. "Sometimes I do believe so."

"Do you think this idea will work?" Kagome asked quietly, and Kyoya pushed his glasses up, coughing into his arm to cover the blush on his cheeks.

"I believe it should work better than you could've planned, Kagome."

And she grinned at him.

* * *

"Fuyumi, go fetch Kyoya and our guest. They're running late." Yoshio, Kyoya's father, said as they sat down for dinner. Fuyumi nodded, excusing herself from the table and leaving the room. She fumbled with the bracelets on her wrists as she felt Kevin's eyes follow her out.

Something about that man seemed off, but she pushed the thought out of her mind as she went up the stairs.

"Kyoya?" she called as she approached her brother's door, she knocked lightly on his door before pushing it open, gasping lightly at seeing that the two fell asleep on the couch, Kyoya leaning back and Kagome's head in his lap.

Fuyumi smiled lightly, but she frowned soon after knowing that she needed to get the two of them down to dinner- otherwise all three of them would be in trouble.

"Hey, psst." Fuyumi moved over to Kyoya, shaking his shoulders. He hummed, opening one eye to glare at her. "You guys are late to dinner. You guys have to show up, if not if might spell bad blood between us and the Tashio's."

"Right," he grumbled, waving his hand at her. "We'll be down soon."

* * *

"Are you aware that the Yamamoto's have run into some problems?" Sesshoumaru mentioned casually, drinking from his glass of wine as he looked pointedly at Kagome. She blushed, pushing around her food. She was so embarrassed! Falling asleep in Kyoya's room!

"I've heard that they've run into fraud and some bankruptcy. How sad, they were such a respected family." Yoshio said, nodding along with him and drinking from his own glass of brandy. Kyoya gave a sideways glance at Kagome, his own cheeks still tinted pink but his curiosity burning.

Did the Tashio's really have that kind of power and influence to wipe a family name off the map?

All he really understood was that the Ootori's were one of the most powerful families around, with their own private police force! But to know that the Tashio's were more respected than _they_ were- Kyoya was conflicted on how to feel.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Review please!**_


	17. Halloween Madness part 1

(Chapter 17)

"Alright everyone, we need to talk about our plans for this next week." Their class representative said from the front of the room, Kagome looked over to Tamaki, who was flirting with a girl who sat next to him. She rolled her eyes.

"Tamaki," Kagome almost felt pleased when as soon as she said his name he swung around to her, and the other girl sent glares towards her.

"Yess~ My precious little darling?" Tamaki almost squealed and Kagome rolled her eyes at him.

"Halloween is next week, right?"

"That's right." Tamaki and Kyoya said at the same time, and she glanced between them. "After our exams the school gives us a few days off to enjoy the holiday, we also get a day to decorate as a class and decide on a theme." Kyoya finished, fixing his glasses and turning back to the book he was reading.

Kagome and Tamaki looked to each other before shrugging.

"I think it's pretty fun-"

"Tamaki, Kagome!" the class representative called out, startling the two in the back. "Do you have any ideas on what our theme could be since you're both talking back there?"

"Kyoya was too!" Kagome and Tamaki said at the same time, and he sent glares at the both of them. Tamaki and Kagome shared similar grins and peace signs.

"Fine, any ideas from the three of you?"

"We usually do old movies and tea, why not just stick with that?" Kyoya deadpanned, going back to his book.

"Wait, seriously?" Kagome asked, crinkling her nose. "That's all we do?"

"Do you have a better idea _commoner_?" The girl who sent Kagome's glares earlier sneered, and Kagome stood up quickly where her chair fell back.

"Tashio-heiress now, thank you." She sneered back at the girl, and turned to face her class representative. "And yes, in fact I do. We _commoners_ celebrate this holiday by throwing parties, at the shrine we set up booths and a small maze for young children to go and get scared in. Why not throw our own haunted house?"

Kyoya perked up then, closing his book. Tamaki's eyes widened as he glanced at her, and everyone else in the class looked genuinely surprised at the idea.

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and couldn't help the smug smile as the class started buzzing about that idea.

' _This will be easy, with all the stuff I've been through- fake props will be nothing.'_

* * *

"You don't actually plan on staying?" Kyoya asked her when they and Tamaki had offered to be on the planning committee, she winked at the two of them.

"I do plan on being here but only for a while, we have a few activities at the shrine I need to be there to help set up for. Besides, Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, I promised Souta I would dress up with him and go trick-or-treating with him." Kagome smiled as she scratched down a few prop ideas and Tamaki and Kyoya glanced at each other.

"We can invite the other classes to come through our haunted house to participate, and we can have refreshments and snacks at the end that they can buy!" Kagome suggested to the class representative, and he blushed rubbing the back of his head.

"How do you always have such good ideas about events and other things?" Tamaki asked, already having been filled in by Kyoya about her ideas about the Christmas Ball and the next summer vacation.

Kagome smiled, thinking back when Sango and Shippo both were talking and bouncing off ideas for Miroku's surprise party.

"I had a couple great friends when I was younger and they always had great ideas."

"What's it like?" The class representative asked her, leaning heavily on his arms, holding his head in his hands looking at her. "To be around the prestigious Tashio family? What are the Satoshi's like?"

"The Tashio…?" Kagome blinked, her heart pounding. "Sesshoumaru has always been a bit distant and cold, but he's warmed up to me. Kagura dotes on me like I'm her daughter. Saburo is probably my best friend though." Kagome smiled so easily.

"I used to work for Satoshi, the younger one, he runs a small shack in a park and that's actually how we found each other again." Kagome's smile tensed a little bit as she looked back down.

"It's a little intimidating, being a part of a family so powerful when for the longest time my family and I had struggled for everything. My father died when I was just a little girl, and Souta was barely a few months old. So when that happened we really started to struggle. My grandfather took us in at the shrine I live at now. So it's a bit strange," she looked back up at their class representative.

"Having nothing and then suddenly having the world at your fingertips. Everyone thinks having money and power will make your life better, and it did for my family. The Tashio's support our shrine and we're able to clean it up and stay on top of our bills, but I don't particularly care for the social implications that comes along with it."

She sat her chin in her hand, and looked up and out the window, her pencil tapping against her cheek as she thought.

"It's stressful, because I'll be taking a part of the company someday- but then again I don't have to worry about my family." Kagome smiled then, closing her eyes against the sun's bright light. "So I guess it's O.K., being a part of the Tashio family."

Kyoya turned back to his book, a blush coating his cheeks as Tamaki grabbed Kagome and spun her around, tears in his eyes and he claimed that "Daddy's precious little girl is growing up to be a beautiful woman- she will be so cute dressed as a little witch!"

Kyoya couldn't help the smile as he watched the two, the blush coating his cheeks becoming darker as he imagined what she would look like dressed as a witch. With her little pointed hat, spider legged stockings, a little broom or wand, her black heels, that short black dress-

"Mommy! Make her stop growing!"

"Tamaki let me go! I'm _older_ than you!"

Yes, beautiful indeed.

* * *

"Promise that you'll be back in time for us to go trick-or-treating?" Souta put his hands on his hips as he was already dressed in his demon garb, courtesy of Saburo and Satoshi. Kagome wore her traditional Miko outfit, seeing as she would need to put it on anyways for the rest of the night at the shrine.

Kagome laughed, flicking Souta's fake dog ears on his head.

"Yes, I promise to be back to take you trick-or-treating." Souta pouted at her, but looked to Honey and Mori as they were dressed in costumes too.

"Why are they even going? They're not a part of your class."

"No but other classes were welcome to participate." Kagome pointed out, waving to her family as she walked away. "I'll be home in a few hours."

Kagome's mother smiled as she waved, and Souta waved too (but more excitedly than his mother did.)

"This is gonna be so much fun, Takashi!" Honey said, jumping up and down in his headless horseman costume (it was really a vampire, but he didn't need to know that). Mori just "hnn'd," smiling down and picking up Honey as the three descended the stairs, Mori in his own "headless horseman" costume.

"I'm excited for you guys to see it," Kagome commented, as the driver opened the door for them. She crawled in, shocked to see Hikaru and Kaoru in the limo too.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked, sitting next to them. They both grinned like Cheshire cats (which they were actually dressed as).

"We heard that Honey and Mori were coming to your class haunted house-" Hikaru started,

"-So we figured that they could just pick us up on the way." Kaoru finished, both grinning.

Kagome rolled her eyes at them.

"Say, what is this thing?" Kaoru asked, picking at Kagome's outfit. She knocked his hand away and glared at him.

"For your information it's a traditional miko garb, I would need to wear it later tonight anyways so I figured I would just wear it to the school as well."

The twins shrugged, and Honey and Mori looked to each other.

"Well I like it." Honey nodded with finality.

* * *

" _Welcome~_ " A hollow voice spoke over the speaker system, " _to Class1-A's Halloween maze. All cast should be in places, those participating in our haunted house please stay in the front hallway_."

Kagome smiled at the small group as she waved her hand and ran off to find her place. Hikaru and Kaoru grinned at each other, rubbing their hands together as they looked at the small crowd in the hallway.

" _Let this game… Begin!_ "

* * *

Kagome found Kyoya and Tamaki easily enough, they were stationed towards the back of the maze so they had a while before anyone would be coming. Tamaki decided to set up a card game, and the three of them played quietly (both Tamaki and Kyoya accusing Kagome of cheating when she beat them twice) before they heard a loud crash in one of the rooms down the hall.

"No one should be down this far yet, we haven't heard any of the other traps before ours go off." Kagome whispered to them. "You guys stay here in case someone comes by so we can scare them, I'm going to go see what fell." She patted their heads and looked around the hall before sprinting off (very quietly) to the room where she heard the crash.

Tamaki and Kyoya watched her leave until they couldn't see her in the hallway anymore, them both glancing at each other.

"We give her fifteen minutes." Kyoya warned, Tamaki nodded.

"Fifteen."

* * *

Kagome peered in several rooms, the first few there wasn't a lot, the third there was a big spider prop hanging on the ceiling, and the last couple there was nothing that seemed out of place. Kagome frowned, turning the lights on and working her way back up the hall to see what could've made that sound.

She sighed, opening the third room back up again and turning the lights on. She glanced around, but there was nothing.

She went to close the door when suddenly her eyes widened. She glanced back up to the ceiling.

But the big spider was gone.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Oh nooooo.**_

 _ **Oh I'm so excited for the next chapter I hope you guys like it! Review please!**_

 _ **(Also how am I doing writing the characters? Are they a bit too OCC?)**_


	18. Halloween Madness part 2

(Chapter 18)

"Boss, you're not scary." Hikaru and Kaoru said at the same time, matching poses of unimpressed. "Where's Kagome? We haven't even seen her yet." Hikaru sighed and Kaoru nodded. Tamaki and Kyoya glanced at each other, Kyoya checking his watch.

"It has been past fifteen minutes."

"We haven't had a break to go find her, it's like they all just traveled in a hoard!" Tamaki said, obviously frustrated at the lack of scares he was able to get.

"Mummy's are scary!"

"Not really." The twins commented at the same time, rolling their eyes.

* * *

Kagome slowly closed the door behind her, scanning around the room. Her heart was beating in her chest- a prop like that wouldn't just disappear!

"Hello?" Kagome asked, she heard a thump and a hiss, and she quickly glanced over at the teacher's desk. Someone came out from underneath it, holding their head as they turned to look at whoever came in.

Their eyes widened when they connected with each other.

" _You_." Kagome gasped, staring wide-eyed at the man in front of her, who continued to rub the back of his head as he frowned.

"Naraku."

* * *

"Well where do you think she went?" Tamaki asked, "We have a small break before the maze will start up again, we have to find her."

"She went off to go figure out what made that crashing sound, but really she could be anywhere. Maybe she found it and realized what time it was and had to leave?" Kyoya suggested, albeit rather weakly and the others in the group gave him deadpanned looks.

* * *

"Correction," the man said, wincing again as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm Hachiro Onigumo. The first Scholarship student- Ow that _fucking_ smarts." He removed his hand from his head, Kagome's eyes widened when it came away purple. The Naraku look alike growled, wiping his hands free.

"And you're Kagome Higurashi, the second scholarship student and my creator's enemy."

"Naraku didn't have any more creations, Muso was his last."

"Muso was a cocky idiot, Naraku recognized that and cast him aside. No, he made me by complete accident and I was able to get away."

"How." Kagome glared at him, and Hachiro held his hands up.

"I'm not going to fight you or attack you, I bleed when I hit my head on a desk," he showed her the purple rag. "Punch me hard enough and you'll break my arm! I can't hurt you. I'm not a threat to you."

Kagome's shoulders lost their tension but her fists were still clenched.

"During the last battle, when Naraku killed your friend," Hachiro dropped his rag and put his hands up. "He expelled another part of himself in a last attempt to survive. Muso was weak and didn't have the memories. I am weaker but do have the memories. Naraku was a self-absorbed dick head who had mommy issues." Hachiro sneered, and Kagome's eyes widened.

"I've spent the last 500 years trapped inside this body, no one takes me seriously. So I keep moving. I've been in America the last couple of years and decided that it has been long enough and came back to Japan." His jaw clenched. "But then I saw that you were here somehow, and decided to keep my distance. But you do remember, you do have the memories. I didn't want to approach you- in fact I took great _pains_ to avoid you."

"Why did you want to avoid me?"

Hachiro laughed, doubled over holding his sides, laughed.

"The great Shikon Miko! Who can purify anyone with a touch of your soul- you would kill me in an instant. Copycat or not you smell the _exact_ same. For a long time I was worried that you would sense me, and then Saburo came and I was truly worried that he would say something, but he didn't- and now here we are." He gestured around him.

"Why can't you sense me anyways?" His nose sneered but he tilted his head anyways. Kagome looked off to the side.

"I don't know, my powers haven't been working right ever since the battle."

Hachiro's eyes widened.

"Did you use your full capabilities at the end of the battle?"

"Yes, with InuYasha's windscar and my sacred arrow- I put all the energy and magic I had into that attack."

"Naraku put a curse on you."

"What?" Kagome blinked, staring at this look-alike suspiciously.

"During the last battle, Naraku had the witch Tsubaki make a curse that he could put on you at a later date. It has three stages." Hachiro held three fingers up as he spoke.

"First stage, it lies dormant until you use your full power capabilities." She nodded and he put the first finger down.

"Second stage, it blocks off your continued control use of your powers unless you are in situations where you have little control over your emotions- like anger and fear. When you get to the same amount of power used at the time when the first stage was complete then does it completely block your powers for good."

"And the third stage?"

* * *

"Come on boss I think she's down here!" Kaoru said, pulling a fainted Tamaki down the hall, Hikaru was helping his twin, Mori came and eventually picked Tamaki up, swinging him over his shoulder.

Kyoya rubbed his head, he had such a headache.

* * *

"With the second stage complete the third will leave you weak and completely powerless, and it will continue to drain you until you are too weak to move. And eventually- Death."

"Death?"

"Death." Hachiro nodded, looking rather sullen. "With it already taking effect I'm afraid I can't help stop it. Although it will flat line- it will drop off right before the infected will die, seeing as usually they would be too weak to go on by themselves. If you're admitted into a hospital in time, then there is a chance you can be saved."

"How can I trust you?"

Hachiro shrugged, looking rather guilty.

"You can't, but your other family- Sesshoumaru and Shippo and them- they've known I've existed all this time. I guess you could even say Saburo and I are friends. I haven't done anything to disobey their faith in me or their trust. So I wouldn't say don't trust _me_." Hachiro said, touching the back of his head again to see that his wound had healed.

* * *

"Kagome!" Kyoya and Honey barged into the last room, the light on and Kagome standing in the middle of the room- alone.

"Kagome?" She looked over to them, a haunted look in her eye.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I found a large spider and I- I hate spiders." She scratched her cheek.

"A spider is what caused the crash?"

"N-No! No, just some poorly placed products. Don't worry, I cleaned it all up."

"Right, well. It's getting late. You promised your brother you would take him trick or treating."

"Souta!" Kagome gasped, looking at her friends. "That's right! I forgot, has it been an hour already?"

Kyoya nodded. "We'll come with you to make sure he has fun."

"Wait-what?" Kagome blinked, and the twins repeated the question. Even Honey and Mori looked surprised.

"What a great idea, Kyoya!" Tamaki said, jumping off of Mori and pointing at Kagome. "At least Kyoya and I will tag along to make sure your precious little brother gets the Halloween he's been wanting all year!"

"Mori and I will go too!" Honey said, jumping up and down in his excitement. Hikaru and Kaoru looked to each other before grinning, leaning on each other.

"Count us in too!"

"Well- alright then." Kagome smiled placing her hands on her hips as she looked at her small group of friends. "Let's go get Souta!"

"Yay!" Hunny and the twins cheered.

Kagome laughed, following behind them as her smile slowly disappeared.

Was it true? About Sesshoumaru and all them knowing about Hachiro and not telling her?

Kagome was dragged out of her thoughts by Kyoya grabbing her hand, he wasn't looking at her as he dragged her along, but she could see the blush on his cheeks as it crept to his ears and down his neck.

Kagome couldn't help the smile she had then.

* * *

"TRICK-OR-TREAT!" Honey, the twins, and Souta practically shouted to the poor old lady, but she only seemed flustered for a moment before smiling kindly and dropping candy bars in their bags.

"Guys, don't be so rude- I know you're excited-" Kagome tried to calm them down, sweat dropping as she did so. Tamaki was having fun looking at the decorated streets and homes, and Kyoya was even impressed with the festivities. A few children ran around him and one little girl bumped into him, he set his hand out to help steady her and gestured where her friends ran off too. She smiled up at him, holding her witch hat in place as she said "thank you!" dropping a piece of candy in his hands and running off to find her friends.

Kyoya stared at the candy piece, and looked at Honey and Hikaru who were arguing about trading candy.

That little commoner girl gave him a piece of her own without a second thought as a way to say… thank you?

"Commoner's are an interesting breed all their own." Kyoya said, putting the hard candy in his pocket. Kagome turned to look at him as they moved down houses once more.

"Much different from your pedigree lifestyle, Kyoya?" Kagome teased, winking at him.

"I must say Kagome, that if this is a part of your world… I wouldn't mind getting to see more of it." He smiled easily down at her, a twinkle in his eye. His heart beat faster as he saw her cheeks color, she quickly turned her head so her bangs covered her face from his angle.

Kyoya decided then that he wanted to continue to see her blush, it looked rather... charming on her.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry Kyoya is turning out to be so OCC! I'm going to watch the anime and read some of the manga again to get a better feel for his character. But oh! What's this? Some PLOT DEVELOPMENT?! Review please!**_


	19. Onward! My Demon Friends

(Chapter 19)

"Kyoya."

"Yes father?" Kyoya stood in the doorway of his father's study, a clean pressed yellow shirt and black slacks was what he wore that lazy weekend day.

Or what was supposed to be a lazy weekend day.

* * *

"Have you guy's seen Kyoya?" Tamaki asked the small group, who looked at each other then shrugged. "He was supposed to meet us here at the commoner's movie theater by now."

"Why do you say it like that?" Kagome said, sending him a sideways glare. Tamaki tilted his head curiously at her.

"Like what?"

"Saying things like _"the commoner's movie theater,"_ not everything we do that's not in high society needs to be accented by the word "commoner"."

"Then how will people know what we're talking about when we tell them?" Hikaru asked, Kaoru nodded in agreement.

"Just say "the movie theater,"?" Kagome said, looking at them with a tick to her brow.

"But it is weird that Kyoya isn't here yet, he's never late to anything." Hunny said, looking up at Mori. The silent giant nodded his agreement.

"Do you think we should go to his house?" Hikaru asked, getting a devious glint in his eyes.

"No need." Tamaki spoke up holding his phone out, he looked rather serious at them, snapping his phone shut and putting it back in his pocket. "He's not coming."

"NOT COMING?!" The twins and Hunny shouted at the same time, Hunny getting teary eyed at the news.

"How come?" Kagome asked, hoping her voice didn't show that she was actually a little disappointed.

"He said his dad has him doing a couple things for the company since Kyoya is so interested in it. His dad has him for the rest of the weekend."

"Oh," Kagome's shoulders slumped and the twin's looked at her with raised eyebrows. She tried not to let her disappointment show, she knew how time consuming learning about a company could be. Sesshoumaru and Shippo had quite a few of her weekends or free days after school where there wasn't club duties. "Alright I guess, but no one tell him about the movie! He has to see it on his own!" Kagome said, placing her hands on her hips.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

Kyoya checked his phone after he placed a large stack of papers down on the table, he sighed after seeing Kagome's text of "Everything alright?"

"Kyoya," Yoshio spoke, Kyoya picked his head up and looked at his father. "If you are interested in taking over this company you're not really showing it. Spending time talking with your friends?"

"No, no it was nothing important." Kyoya put the phone back in his pocket, picking up a file that was on the table and bringing it over to his father.

"Good. You don't need distractions when running a successful company. It takes all your time and attention, if just one thing falls apart everything else will too."

"Right father, you're right." Kyoya said.

"Now let's have a look at those numbers of yours for your little _Host Club_."

* * *

"Any word from Kyoya?" Tamaki asked, his arms behind his head as they strolled around the shopping center. Kagome sighed, looking at her phone before putting it away again.

"No, I would've thought that he would at least check in with us- ya know?" Tamaki glanced down at the obviously dejected girl, seeing her slight pout. He grinned, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

"Not to fret! The Ootori run a series of hospitals so of course Kyoya would be busy! I'm sure everything is going just _fine_."

Kagome smiled, patting Tamaki's hand.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

* * *

"Kyoya!... T-Tamaki!" Kagome blushed, running up to them as she almost forgot to acknowledge her other friend as well the next school day morning.

"Hey Kagome, did you have a nice rest of your weekend?" Tamaki held a hand up in a 'hello' gesture, while Kyoya nodded his head once, returning to his small ledger as he wrote down some numbers.

"Yeah, Souta finally came with me to the Tashio mansion and he and Saburo played Video games while Shi-Satoshi talked to me about our business partners here in Japan and how to make better relations with them. Kyoya, how was your weekend?"

"Fine," He said simply. Tamaki and Kagome exchanged glances, and Kyoya sighed- closing his ledger. "Long, boring, tedious- what would you like to know?" He peered at her from over his glasses.

"Sorry I asked." Kagome grumbled, giving a slight upturn of her nose and moving past the two and in the classroom.

"You O.K. there, Kyoya?" Tamaki asked his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. Kyoya gave him a sideways glare and pushed his hand off his shoulder.

"Everything's fine, why do you ask?"

"You seem a bit tense. I know your dad has you running around in circles with having you compete for the company with your older siblings, but don't forget to live a little too." Kyoya's eyes widened as he stared at the floor. Tamaki shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets.

Kyoya watched Tamaki leave, an uncertain frown set on his face.

* * *

Kagome sighed, picking up her bag as she looked across the third music room. The Host's were all busy with their customer's, smiling charmingly and making every girl feel special. Kagome looked around for Kyoya, and found him in the corner with his head in his hand bent over working in that damn book again.

Kagome frowned, approaching Tamaki instead.

"Hey Tamaki,"

"Yesss, my precious little angel?" Tamaki had a dreamy look on his face until it shattered when he realized it was Kagome talking to him. "What's up, Kagome?"

"I have to leave club early today. I just remembered I'm sorry I didn't let you guys know sooner."

"Don't worry about it, just do what you gotta do." Tamaki smiled and winked at her, the girls around him screamed in delight, holding their faces. Kagome rolled her eyes, turning around and catching Kyoya's eye.

She gave a soft wave, turning to leave the Host Club with a soft click of the door.

* * *

"Alright Men!" Tamaki said once the last customer left. Hunny, Mori and the Twins gathered around him while Kyoya stayed in the back corner- not getting any customer requests that day. "Our dear sweet Kagome's birthday is next week! We need plans, we need ideas!" Tamaki felt a little pride seeing the way Kyoya stopped moving and even perked up in their direction a little.

Tamaki smirked at him, and almost squealed in glee as he saw the blush starting on Kyoya's cheeks that spread to his ears.

Oh how interesting.

He looked directly at the twins.

"I think we should hold a _surprise_ party for her during club next week!"

"When's her birthday?" Hunny asked, the twins saluted.

"The 13th!"

"Right!" Hunny and the twins said, and Mori nodded at the same time.

* * *

"Sesshoumaru wants to throw you a celebration for your birthday." Satoshi told her as he and Shippo sat with her in a small private booth in the back of a restaurant.

"Really? Why?" Kagome asked, taking a sip from her tea as she looked at the décor.

"It will be the first birthday since we've found each other again, the first since you've been introduced as family. It's worth celebrating." Shippo said, Kagome nodded in understanding.

"Must we though? We just went to a party-"

"That was almost a month ago." Satoshi pointed out with a raised eyebrow. Kagome placed her chin in her hand.

"I guess-"

"Hello you two, anything I can help you with today?" A cute waitress came up to their table. Kagome glanced at her from the corner of her eye.

"Hello Izumi, how are you today?"

"Just fine," the girl chirped, smiling down at them. "So what can I start you all out with?"

"We're here to discuss business matters under Sesshoumaru Tashio." Satoshi said, and the girl looked curiously down at Kagome.

"With _her_ here?"

"You're looking at the young woman who defeated Naraku over 500 years ago." Shippo said rather proudly, smirking and crossing his arms over his chest. The waitress looked surprised, sniffing the air.

"She's just a human though-"

Satoshi and Shippo both dropped their human disguises, Satoshi had cute little ears on the top of his head due to him being part demon, and he flicked his ear in annoyance at the way Kagome stared in awe.

She tugged on his ear in reaction.

The waitress seemed a bit miffed, but dropped her human disguise as well to reveal a long orange tabby cat tail and ears.

"You're a demon too?" Kagome asked rather dumbly, before realizing that she must've had some connection to the demon world for Shippo and Satoshi to both drop their human disguises. The waitress even gave Kagome a leveled glare.

"Demons still exist quite abundantly here in the modern era." Shippo said, gesturing for the waitress to leave. "We'll call you when we need you." Shippo gave a slight glare from the corner of his eyes to the girl, she straightened up and bowed, leaving with a huff in her step.

"This is a demon-only café, but humans wander in her regularly so the staff keep their human disguises on unless they get the O.K. from the human's party that it's ok to drop them. There's quite a few of these establishments around, but it isn't safe for demons to come out in the open, so when we want to be ourselves in public we can come to places like this." Shippo gestured around them.

"It's pretty nice- please let go of my ear." Satoshi whined, blinking his bright green eyes at Kagome behind his glasses. Kagome sheepishly let go of his ears.

"Sorry."

"So about your party?"

"I don't want one." Kagome crossed her arms.


	20. SURPRISE!

(Chapter 20)

" ** _SURPRISE_** " Everyone yelled when Kagome walked in late to the third music room (curtesy of Saburo distracting her). Her eyebrow ticked when Saburo placed a little party hat on her head and joined in with everyone singing to her.

Her fingers twitched as she looked at everyone, approaching her quickly with the flaming cake- so many voices.

So many voices, so many faces- approaching fast. Way too fast.

Kagome covered her ears, but there was just too much noise.

 _"Kagome?"_

InuYasha was in front of her, and suddenly he wasn't and there was a crowd of people around her. A sea of buttercup yellow and tasteful indigo.

 _"Kagome!"_ Sango called out to her, crying out as she was ripped through the air.

Kagome was suddenly staring at the ceiling, breathing heavily but hiccupping throughout as tears streamed down the side of her face.

Naraku's tentacle wrapped farther around Sango's face, crushing her throat and tearing her in half as she was reaching out-

And suddenly InuYasha's face was in front of her again- except he was missing his ears. Where was his ears?

"InuYa-"

"Kagome, Kagome. You're at Ouran. It's your birthday." No- no that wasn't InuYasha. That was Saburo. InuYasha was dead.

Saburo sat her up carefully, his long hair tied back in its traditional way at the nape of his neck.

"Did you have a panic attack?" He asked her quietly, her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment as she saw everyone around her whispering behind their hands, and the wide eyes of Tamaki and Kyoya. God she was embarrassed-

"Hey- hey. Don't look at them, they don't exist. We exist." Saburo got in her face, where the crowd was a backdrop and he was the main attraction. "Everything's ok, remember? You're surrounded by people who love you, who adore you. You're safe, you're fine." He held her head in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers, and his eyes were definitely not InuYasha's.

InuYasha's eyes held a fire in them that if someone looked at him wrong he would tear them a new one, but Saburo's… He looked so concerned, and like in that moment only she mattered.

Kagome took a deep and shaky sigh, she nodded her head.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi, I'm 16 years old-"

"17, you're 17 today." Saburo said quietly, and Kagome swallowed thickly.

"Right, 17. My family is at the Higurashi Shrine, you're my cousin and a part of my other family. I am 17 today." She looked up at him, then at Tamaki and Kyoya.

"I'm safe, I'm loved."

Tamaki gave a relieved smile, but Kyoya gave her a soft smile as he nodded along with her.

"Safe and loved." He repeated quietly, his heart pounding but the grin she gave him made it beat harder.

* * *

"I saw them, InuYasha and Sango." Kagome told Saburo as they walked down the hall. After her… panic attack. Saburo stayed by her side the entire time, the club girls cooing over their "sibling love," which the twins exchanged devious glances about.

And now the club had the incestuous twins and the girls _really_ liked that.

"What triggered it? The memories?"

"I was overwhelmed- rushed at. I don't know. One moment I was there and the next I was back at the battle. InuYasha was in front of me, trying to get me to focus. Then I was back in the host room- and then suddenly I saw Sango and she…" Kagome took a shuddering breath. "She was calling out to me, reaching for me as Naraku got her and tore her away from Miroku."

Kagome held her arms, looking down at the floor as they walked.

"Did you guys know about Hachiro?" She asked finally, looking up at him. Saburo stopped walking, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

"H-Hachiro? There's a lot of people named Hachiro, Kagome! Don't be ridiculous." Saburo laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Kagome frowned at him, and Saburo lost his weak smile. He sighed. "Yeah. We knew. We've known he existed but he's not a threat. Sesshoumaru and Shippo said so otherwise, they kept a close eye on him for over 300 years, the last 200 they deemed him worthy enough to let him off on his own, and he hasn't caused any problems with the humans or us. We see him from time to time but when we found you I was told to not tell you because… We didn't know how you would react."

Kagome nodded slowly, turning around and walking down the hallways without Saburo.

Saburo was left standing alone in the empty hall.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Kagome." Souta, her grandfather and mother all said pleasantly once Kagome walked through the door. Kagome looked at all of them, a small and relieved smile on her face.

"Thanks you guys, after the day I've had I'll be glad to spend a quiet night at home." She sighed, slipping her shoes off and dropping her bag by the door.

"Why, Sweetie? What happened?"

"I had a panic attack at club today." Kagome said, her shoulders slumping. Her grandfather and mother glancing at each other worriedly.

"Sounds a lot like PTSD," her grandfather said, her mother nodded as she placed the small cake down on the kitchen table.

"PTSD?"

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?" Kagome blinked tiredly at them, and Souta jumped up in excitement.

"Yeah! We're learning about it in school! It can develop in anyone who was witness or taken a part in a traumatic or terrifying event. And it doesn't always show up right away either- sometimes it can take years for a trigger to show up and present itself."

Kagome blinked at her eccentric little brother, rubbing her arms as she glanced to the side of the hallway.

"I'm sure it's not that, it's probably nothing." Kagome smiled encouragingly at her family, but they exchanged uneasy glances with one another. "I don't mean to be a drag, but I'm pretty tired and we have a test coming up. May I go to bed?"

"Without dinner?" Her mother gasped, Kagome scratched at her cheek.

"Uhh- y-yeah, I'm not that hungry anyways."

Her mother sighed, putting the cake in the fridge as she got out ingredients to add to the cooking meat and boiling rice.

"Well alright, if you're sure."

"Thanks, Momma."

* * *

Kagome twisted and turned in her bed, grasping the covers and yanking them over her head as she groaned. It was past 10 o'clock, that she knew for sure. She knew Souta would be in bed, Grandpa would be asleep in his chair, and Momma would be reading next to him until 11 when she would wake him up, lead him to his room on the bottom floor, turn off the lights and lock the doors.

Kagome felt guilty for heading to bed early, and her stomach certainly regretted it too. She held her stomach as it growled and groaned. Kagome sighed, taking the covers off her head as she stared at the ceiling.

She grabbed her little phone from her bedside table, replying to a quick message sent from Satoshi (he always liked to send her funny little pictures he finds), and checking her email.

That was when she saw the message from Kyoya- sent just a few minutes ago?

Her phone dinged, from a text message from him.

 **"Please don't read that."** His message blinked in front of her, and Kagome stared at the phone and then switched back over to the email.

What on earth could possibly be inside it?

 **"I accidentally sent it. You don't need to read it, it's not important."**

Kagome sighed, sending the lost email to her junk folder.

 _"Don't worry, it's gone now."_

 **"I didn't expect you to still be up."**

 **"And here I was going to steal your phone in the middle of the night to delete it."**

Kagome stared wide eyed at that comment, was Kyoya trying to flirt with her?

 _"What was on it anyways?"_

 **"Oh just some plans I wanted Tamaki to go over so we could discuss them in club tomorrow."**

 _"Right, Well… I guess that explains why you're still up so late."_

 **"Yeah."**

Kagome sat her phone down on her chest, she looked back up at the ceiling before she felt it buzz again.

 **"Is… Everything O.K? Are you O.K.?"**

 _"It's sweet that you're concerned… Everything's fine."_

 **"That's good to hear, we have a lot of customer's coming in tomorrow. We wouldn't want you to miss that."**

 _"Right, the ever charmer you are. Well, Night Ootori."_

 **"Goodnight"**

 **"Kagome."**

Kagome smiled, or rather grinned a bit as she placed her phone on the nightstand next to her. Kyoya had been acting weird the last few weeks, but she feels like they're progressing again.

In a spur of the moment decision, she grabbed her phone again.

 _"Are you even tired?"_ it took a few minutes but eventually he responded.

 **"Well not really, I can't sleep so I've just been studying."**

 _"That's boring. I can't sleep either, let's go out somewhere."_

 **"what."**

Kagome was already out of bed and getting dressed, throwing some layers on and grabbing a scarf.

 _"I'll be there in like 20 minutes, get dressed."_

 **"I haven't even agreed yet!"**

 _"So what, you're just going to let your friend walk around Tokyo at night?"_

 **"Well, no…"**

 _"Great I'll be there soon."_

Kagome grinned mischievously, feeling extremely adventurous and desperately needing a change of scenery.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Sorry for the lack of updates the last few days! You know, Holiday's and such...And also I got a cold from hell, so... I could list my problems all day but I'm not here for that! I'm here to thank you all for being patient the last few days and I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!

(also I'm entering a contest over on and could use some support over there, if you're interested message me or leave a review about it!) Thank you!


	21. Singing Memories

(Chapter 21)

She approached his house, and saw a figure shifting outside the gates pretty uncomfortably. Kagome came up and stood next to him, the two of them looked out over the hill, watching the lights across the city.

"Alright, I'm out here. So what are we going to do?" He glanced down at her, and she couldn't help the smile in knowing that they unwittingly matched each other with gray hoodies and layers of pants. You could see the frump in his legs to know that he had at least two pair on, while she had two pair of leggings under her jeans.

"You don't get out a lot from your high society life, do you?"

"Hardly." He shifted again, and the light bounced off his glasses. "Why did you even ask me? I'm sure Mitsukuni-senpai would've enjoyed this- or even Tamaki. That bumbling fool is infatuated with Commoners."

Kagome shrugged, "You were the one I was talking to at the time and I wanted to go out, besides you're the one who lives closest to me." Kagome winked at him. She grabbed his hand and started dragging him down the hill towards her bicycle.

"If you think Commoner's during the day are something, wait till you see what we do at night!"

"Kagome!" He called, holding his glasses in place as he stumbled clumsily after her.

* * *

The bike ride down the hill was much easier than walking the bike up it, and the two glided into town easily with Kyoya standing on the back pegs and had a grip on her shoulders. She cruised around alleyways behind homes, around corners, and then she looked up at him.

"Are you hungry at all?"

"Well not really," he answered, glancing around.

"Too bad, I am." She slowed the bike down and stopped it. Kyoya jumped off and she parked it in a slot, locking it in place as she looked at their surroundings. They were near a waterfront with the rainbow bridge nearby. They glanced around and then down at their attire after seeing some other people dressed to the nine's.

"I think we're a little under dressed to eat at places like this- don't you?" He pointed out, Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, walking down the side street to find a mini market that could still be open.

"You didn't have to come you know." She pointed out, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Kyoya gave a noise from the back of his throat that reminded Kagome of Sesshoumaru.

"I wasn't just going to let you roam around Tokyo in the middle of the night by yourself. Besides you didn't exactly give me a choice." He grumbled, fishing around in his pocket for his wallet.

Kagome blushed, scratching at her cheek as she looked away. It was true she wasn't quite sure what came over her, she just knew she couldn't sleep and staying at home wasn't going to help (studying sure wasn't going to help either), and she wanted to go out. To explore.

Kyoya just happened to be the one she was talking to, seeing as he was still up and couldn't sleep either… It just clicked together.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry about my abrasive behavior. I just knew that staying around the house wouldn't help me sleep. I'm anxious, riled up." She jumped from side to side, rolling her neck. "I wanted to go on an adventure." She looked up at him with such big eyes and an excited smile

Kyoya turned his head slightly and fixed his glasses, a hint of a blush starting.

"Well… Either way, thank you. I suppose." Kagome grinned at him, grabbing his arm and dragging him down the street once again.

* * *

They were able to find a market, and Kagome bought them a small grocery bag of snacks and other foods as they wandered around the waterfront. They saw a preforming artist that was still out and drawing a crowd, the small woman smiled, against her violin as another sang a song Kagome was vaguely familiar with.

 _"We are, that's right, we are  
taking a detour, simply gazing at the night sky._

 _At the place when you go  
down the long hillside path.  
There's a scenery called 'memories',  
It's like a strange folklore,  
And a filled out fiction._

 _It's our unexpected scenario,  
Without stopping, time simply engraved memories.  
Hey Sadness is, that's right, sadness is  
Not in the same direction-"_

Kagome smiled up at Kyoya, she blinked when she realized his attention was captured fully on the two preforming women.

"Do you enjoy music, Kyoya?" Kagome asked him, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at him. Kyoya blinked a few times before looking down at her.

"Well quite a few people enjoy music."

Kagome smiled, leading Kyoya away from the performers.

"A few years ago I learned how to play the shakuhachi, I'm more than likely a bit rusty, but I would be happy to show you- a-and the other club members as well." Kagome berated herself, wondering why she would even offer to show them such a sacred instrument. Kyoya blinked down at her, before giving her a soft (and real) smile.

"I'm sure we would all enjoy that."

* * *

Kami, this was ridiculous. The shakuhachi she had was Miroku's (she took it after he died), it wasn't as good looking as some of the shakuhachi of today- but in her opinion it sounded much better.

Kagome carried the case with her like it was chained to her wrist.

She approached the music room full of nerves, there was no club today so she could do this _specifically_ for them. Kagome sighed, pushing the doors open and a bathtub full of rose petals showered upon her entry (not literally but there _was a lot_ of rose petals).

 _"Welcome,"_ Tamaki winked at her as the Hosts were standing in a small group facing the door. Like they would for- _a customer._

She frowned at them, and immediately they dropped the act but continued to stand in their little group. She sat her case down and sighed, bowing to them.

"I'm a little out of practice. It's been about a year since I last played."

"Please, our darling little bird~" Tamaki said charmingly to her, winking at her again. Kagome frowned at him but he wouldn't stop with his endearing words. "Take all the time you need to prepare yourself, a woman like you deserves all the time in the world- but I'm sure that any beautiful note you play will sound marvelous either way."

Kagome's brow ticked as she sighed again, annoying either way the words did help soothe her nerves, she decided begrudgingly.

She took a deep breath, opening the case up and bringing the old flute looking instrument out, she stroked it gently, holding it in her palms. Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other out of boredom, Hunny stared at the object in awe and even Mori looked rather impressed by it, Tamaki was unfamiliar with the instrument, and Kyoya looked mildly interested in it.

She took a steadying breath, then she blew and started off on a high note.

* * *

 _The notes Miroku were playing as the small group waited out the rain were putting Kagome and Sango to sleep as they laid against a larger Kirara, with her head in her paws. Shippo laid on the wooden floor of the shrine they stopped in to color in a book Kagome had brought back for him. InuYasha sat at the opening of the Shrine, on the steps, meditating. His ears flicking back and forth for danger._

 _Kagome rolled over on her side and watched him. She knew they were close to finding the last few shards of the scared jewel, and then Naraku. Everyone had been so tense, so on edge, that this rare moment of peace was… restless._

 _"What is that called?" Kagome asked rather sleepily. She sat up and looked around at the others, noticing that Sango and Shippo had both fallen asleep. She glanced out the door but InuYasha was gone._

 _Chasing one of Kikyo's soul collector's, probably._

 _"It's a shakuhachi."_

 _"Shakuhachi? I heard those were only for certain Buddhist monks."_

 _"It is, it was given to me by my guardian Mushin when I was a young boy. He even taught me how to play."_

 _"It's beautiful." Kagome got up and sat down next to him, he scooted over a little bit more to give her room, and she smiled gratefully at him for doing so._

 _"Would you like to learn?"_

 _"I- I don't know, I'm not a Buddhist."_

 _"I'll be truly honored if I taught the next Shikon Miko how to play the shakuhachi."_

 _"You'll be honored if Sango accepts your proposal." Kagome pointed out, Miroku chuckled and nodded, looking fondly over at their sleeping companion._

 _"I would be the luckiest man on earth to have her as my wife for even one day."_

 _Kagome smiled fondly down at the floor, rubbing her legs to keep them warm._

 _"I could teach you, if you wanted me too." He said again, leaning over and looking at her. She looked up at him, before giving a soft smile and nodding._

 _"Alright, if you'll be_ so honored _to teach the next Shikon Miko… I guess I can't disappoint."_

 _Miroku laughed, scooting closer to her and holding the instrument out and explaining the holes and where to breathe._

* * *

Kagome removed the shakuhachi from her lips, opening her eyes and looking over to her friends- her new friends.

And they all looked star struck and truly surprised.

"Kago-chan! That was so pretty!" Hunny wailed, a hanky in his hands and Usa-chan in his arm. Mori wiped his own tear away. The twins held each other sobbing, Tamaki had his head down in his hand, and Kyoya- Kyoya... Had a single tear dropping off at his chin.

She looked away from them, putting the shakuhachi back in the case she brought it in.

* * *

 _ **A/N: The song is from the Myself; Yourself anime ending theme. The shakuhachi song I was listening to is on youtube and it's played by Rodrigo Rodriguez and by the youtube channel gabriel unevisual. Review please!**_


	22. Getting the Ball Rolling

(Chapter 22)

With snow starting to fall and tests being finished, Tamaki excitedly gathered the Host Club before the club opened for that day, giddy and excited as he usually always was.

"C'mon boss, don't leave us hanging." Hikaru said, arms crossed and pouting like a child.

"What's this _big surprise_ you kept mumbling about today?" Kagome said, placing her hands on her hips. Tamaki and Kyoya exchanged smiles (Tamaki's being a lot bigger than Kyoya's secretive one)

"For the success of the first couple months of the Host Club-" Kyoya started but Tamaki cut in, his excitement bubbling out.

"Our families had agreed to sponsor a Host Club visit to the Maiko Snow ski resort in Niigata!"

"Really?" Kagome's eyes widened, Hikaru and Kaoru got as excited as Tamaki did, and Hunny had Mori spinning him around.

"Really." Kyoya nodded, Kagome tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, smiling a bit shyly up at Kyoya as the others were showing their excitement around them.

"My father was impressed when we went through the numbers at how well our little business is doing, and Tamaki's father is as eccentric as he is, he was more than happy to comply and pay for most of our trip. We already contacted everyone's families and got a bit of a service fee to pay for the rest. My father paid for the second most of it, your family paid for quite a bit too Kagome."

"That is amazing news, I'm very excited. I've never been outside of Tokyo during winter."

"We'll only be gone for 5 days, it takes a little while to get to Niigata- especially with all the snow. We're leaving the day after Christmas."

"Where should we all meet and who is the main transport?"

"We'll be meeting at my home, my driver has had the most experience."

"Also!" Tamaki said, standing up in front of them once more. "Our last day of school is the 24th! Our Christmas Ball is the 25th! We all must meet here during our regular scheduled club time to get the ballroom ready for such a grandeur. We must all be ready by 15:00, we'll meet here and by 17:00 we'll welcome our customer's in. At 22:00 we will be doing our drawing for our princess- and at Midnight we will be closing the party down and cleaning up once every last customer has gone home."

The majority groaned, and Kyoya looked rather impressed at the in-charge attitude Tamaki had taken.

"Then we will be meeting at Kyoya's at 10 the following morning for Maiko Snow!"

Annnnnnddd back to celebrating.

* * *

"I- just- caaan't- reach- Got it!" Kagome yelled out in victory once she placed a bow against draping ribbon that hung against the high walls of the ballroom. Mori was at the bottom of the ladder, steadying it for her so she wouldn't fall.

"Remind me again why you didn't just let one of _us_ do it?" Hikaru asked with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.

"Because _I_ was assigned to the bows! Just because you and Kaoru got done early setting up all the tables-"

"-and the plates,"

"-the chairs,"

"-the hallway décor,"

"-and the-"

"I _get it_." Kagome snapped, sliding down the ladder. Mori moved out of the way as she put her foot down on the ground and turned to them. "Some of us don't work as fast as you two do, apparently." Kagome grumbled, smoothing her dress down.

Kagome frowned, looking around the room.

"There's something missing." The room was a bit too… simple. Empty. It was missing that _wow_ factor but Kagome just couldn't place it. Everyone looked at one another before shrugging.

"We think it looks great." The Twins said, and Hunny nodded in agreement with them over it. The room looked festive enough. What was missing?

"The columns!" Kagome said, putting her fist in her hand as she looked at the columns around the grand room. "There's no decorations on them. Hikaru- Kaoru! You're in charge of putting gold and white ribbons around them. Hunny- Mori! You're in charge of putting red and green bows on them as well."

"What will you be doing?"

Kagome looked to the chandelier on the ceiling, smirking to herself as she grabbed some more gold ribbons.

"I'll connect the columns to the chandelier."

* * *

Kyoya came back to the ballroom to see them on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's going on here?"

"Hmm?" The twins looked back and up at him. "Oh, hey Kyoya."

"Are you done setting up already?" He looked around the ballroom.

"Yeah, then Kago-chan fell asleep." Hunny said, Kyoya looked at him with a raised eyebrow then over to the girl who was curled up on her side just a little ways away from the group.

"She fell asleep?" Kyoya seemed skeptical about it.

"Mhm, after she did the chandelier she said that she felt really light headed and tired, said that she would lay down for a little while."

"Seems rather odd, don't you think?" Kyoya looked over at her.

"She's ok, we already checked her vitals. She's maybe dehydrated but otherwise she's just been stressed and pretty tired."

"Well she doesn't look very comfortable there." Kyoya moved over to her.

"Don't worry about it, I've had to sleep on harder grounds before." Kagome murmured as Kyoya bent down to gather her in his arms. He looked at her rather curiously when she said that, but stood up easily with her nestled in his arms.

"There's a small lounge chair by the doors to the gardens, I'll put you there." Kyoya spoke rather softly, Kagome just sighed tiredly, pushing her head into his shoulder.

"I was _fiiinneee."_

"Maybe, but you were in the way."

"We're done decorating what more do we have to do." She mumbled, opening one eye at him. He chuckled and kneeled in front of the lounger, carefully placing her on it. Kagome sighed once her back hit the soft material, and it felt like she was laying on a comfy cloud.

"We still have to bring more tables in as well as chairs, place the longer tables for the food to be placed on-"

Kagome rolled over flinging her arm and having her hand brush against his face as she covered his mouth.

"Shhh… How much longer will this take?"

Kyoya fixed his glasses and moved her hand from his face, "at least another hour or so. It wouldn't have taken as long but Tamaki decided we should do the majority of the work ourselves and not let any staff handle it."

Kagome sighed, bringing one of the pillows from the chair under her head.

"Do you think you can stay with me till I fall asleep again?" she whispered softly, her eyes barely open but you could see there was an emptiness in them.

Kyoya sighed, sitting down on the ground and leaning against the lounger as she breathed next to his ear.

"Why do you want me to sit here? I didn't even bring my notes with me- I could be getting a good start on winter break assignments."

Kagome chuckled sleepily, her eyes closed as she brought a hand up and played with the hair on the back of his neck.

"You work too hard, Kyoya Ootori." She said tiredly, Kyoya watched her from over his shoulder. "Don't forget that there's more in this life than just business and numbers." Her hand draped to his shoulder as she gave it a light squeeze. "Don't forget to live while you're so busy dying."

And she fell asleep. Kyoya turned himself, her hand falling limp over the side of the lounger. He picked it up delicately, and looked at it. There were little white scars in her finger tips, and over the back of her hands. There were callouses that had been healed but you could still see them.

He thought back to when he first met her- on the first day of school and they found out they were in the same class together (along with Tamaki), she looked _pathetic_. She obviously didn't belong, she was scared out of her wits and a nervous wreck. You could _smell_ the commoner on her clothes. He pitied her.

And pity was a weakness. He distanced himself from her, saw her as a threat to his first real trial to show his father that _he_ _was_ capable of running a successful company and business. She left a bad taste in his mouth and the way she was mocked by the other students- he wanted no part of that. She wasn't worth _his_ time- time that could be spent doing something to better himself or his plans.

But she was everywhere- _absolutely fucking everywhere_. It drove him mad! As mad as Tamaki did when they were first introduced, only she wasn't as stupidly eccentric or ignorant as that bumbling baboon was.

He selfishly wanted her to leave his little group alone, he tried to drive her away but she just wouldn't _leave_. And then he saw it- the day when you could've heard her heart break and shatter and spread to every corner of the earth. When she found out she had to quit her job with Satoshi, the day her old friends told her it was either "us or them" and she choose them. She abandoned her old friends for the chance to just go to school and learn from some of the best teachers in all of Japan, with all the best resources- she chose to stay with a few new friends.

But still he tried, even after that he tried to make her leave. He didn't know why he did or why he had been so rude to her, he didn't want her to leave. She joined their club to spite him, to show him that they couldn't get rid of her that easily- he knows that's exactly why she did it.

But then it was a few days later when he happened to look up from his book in the limo and caught a glance of a girl in an Ouran Uniform stumbling towards the school. Usually he wouldn't have- it wasn't his business, but he told the driver to pull over.

Kagome; her hair was a nest of birds and bees. She had bruises on her cheeks, tear stains and fresh tears, one of the shoulders of the uniform was torn across her torso and her bra showed, she had scratches on her arms, and her stockings were ripped. But even though Kyoya had been so terrible to her- a boy she didn't know personally but she did know that was trying to get rid of her. A boy that had insulted her, driven her _mad_ \- she looked so relieved to see him. She chanted his name, fresh tears spilling over her cheeks as she moved towards him in a daze (but he couldn't move), and then she hugged him. _Tightly, desperately_.

Like she was dying and he was life, she hugged him. And even though it was inappropriate and wrong in that moment he felt… powerful. That this stubborn mule of a girl found comfort in him, the way she pressed herself against him, she was warm. And it felt… Nice, to have her in his arms.

He rejected those feelings (and her) harder than he had been before. She was a commoner! She wouldn't help his business any, she had a low request rate within the first few days (he knew he was just making up excuses but he needed everything, every detail, dirty secret he could find to reject her from him). But she just _wouldn't leave his mind_.

And then Saburo happened.

Kyoya swallowed thickly, lost in his thoughts. He still didn't know how to feel about… him. Saburo.

Saburo took an immediate liking to her, following her around like a dog and she _let_ him so easily. Kyoya hated Saburo, glared at him every chance he got those first few weeks (or months, whatever). And Saburo had only just given him a wolfish grin and a wave over the shoulder.

Everyone _adored_ the newest third year. Kyoya was jealous of just how _easily_ he and Kagome got along, you had hardly seen one without the other every free moment they had, always talking; laughing; joking; _flirting_. Kyoya hated him because that's what _he wanted_. A part of him did anyways, he wanted Kagome, and he couldn't deny that fact.

She was cute, smart, funny, exciting, a fantastic story teller, and dangerously perceptive of people.

It was maddening, he was growing so frustrated that he actually (second-handedly albeit) insulted her by agreeing with what's-her-face about the stench of the room. _And then lied directly to her about it_.

Kyoya rubbed his eyes from under his glasses, giving a low groan when he remembered that.

The look of utter shock and _betrayal_ on her face, like he had just taken something precious from her and smashed it to pieces on the ground in front of her _and he had to pretend not to care_.

 _"You're a bastard, Kyoya Ootori."_ He repeated the words to himself quietly that same night in bed, dragging a hand across his face because it was _true_. Maybe not in a literal sense, his father and mother were in a stable marriage when he was conceived and born, but he didn't really know his father. He always had a secret agenda and Kyoya was never a part in it.

Well, that fight had come first _then_ Saburo did, but either way.

And then the _other_ fight that was actually about Saburo, and when she said that she would quit the club- his breathe was stuck in his throat and his heart was in his stomach. He hadn't wanted that- in all honesty he wasn't actually sure what he wanted, but for her to quit the club? That wasn't it, not at all.

Summer break happened, and Tamaki had spent a great deal of it with him and the rest of the Host Club as Kagome had left for America, and when they found out just a few days after summer break started that Kagome and Saburo were cousins- Kami Kyoya felt shitty. Like a giant piece of shit.

He requested the help of Tamaki personally as a way to help him apologize to her, and somehow it worked.

At the expense of his kitchen, though. Sadly.

But as he sat there on the cold marble floors now, with her asleep and every little hair brained adventure they went on so far (like a couple weeks ago when she took him out at 22:00 and they explored some of Tokyo together) he hadn't truly felt this light hearted being around someone except his sister when he was six.

Kyoya smiled and kissed Kagome's wrist, and then the back of her hand.

Even though their friendship started out rather badly, they were friends now, that's what truly mattered. He was protective of her, he didn't want any terrible thing to happen to her again and even though he felt rather guilty admitting it to himself, he was glad that whenever something bad _did_ happen to her-

She always found her way back to his arms.

* * *

 _ **A/N: If you read everything till the end- then congratulations and thank you! (My favorite part about this chapter is actually this last little bit here of Kyoya reminiscing.) Review please! And watch out for the next couple of chapters~ Something big is coming (and 10 points to anyone who can guess it correctly- if you do then we can talk about what prize you deserve...)**_


	23. Christmas Parties

(Chapter 23)

Shippo entered Kagome's room at the Tashio mansion (of course they would give her _her_ own room when she stayed there), Saburo fussing over Kagome's hair and she argued stubbornly with him about it. Shippo chuckled, shaking his hand as he easily grabbed the brush from Saburo's hands.

"Give it a rest, Saburo. She'll never do anything more than maybe a slightly complex bun." Kagome upturned her nose and Saburo crossed his arms stubbornly.

" _Fine_ , but she would look beautiful with a braided side bun- don't you think?"

"Saburo, she looks beautiful when it's 5 in the morning and she's in her clothes from the last two days and her hair's a mess of rats." Shippo commented, looking down his nose at the younger demon. Saburo rolled his eyes.

"But yes, regardless she would look very beautiful with that side-braid thing, but I think simple elegance suits her best."

"Thank you" Kagome commented, looking with a raised eyebrow at her nails. "This isn't a look of skepticism, Saburo believe me. I've never had my nails done like _this_ \- It's just weird being pampered."

Saburo nodded, tossing his hands up.

"I know, I know! You say such things to not harm my fragile heart, but Kagome- I _know_ that you abhor them! The gown, the nails, the makeup, _the hair_. Nothing is good enough for you!" Saburo mocked, faking a gasp as he held his heart. "Why do you wound me so, my sweet?"

Shippo and Kagome both rolled their eyes at him.

"What ever happened to that… Kevin kid?" Kagome asked, Saburo stood up and looked to the side, refusing to meet their eyes as he brushed his pants off.

"We, uh… Had a falling out. Ya know, him going back to America and all. Also he was more attracted to Kyoya's sister, Fuyumi, than he was to me." Saburo forced a smile and pushed his bangs to the side. "But how could he be? I'm an excellent creature from fine breeding-"

"You've been spending some more time with Tamaki haven't you!" Kagome gasped, not even noticing when Shippo started brushing her hair. Saburo shrugged before grinning.

"The man's a charmer, I can't help it." Kagome gave him a raised eyebrow but Saburo only blinked at her innocently.

"Simple side bun, can I cut your bangs?" Kagome looked startled for a moment but nodded slowly.

"What kind of cut?"

"Angle bangs." The look she gave him had him putting his hands up.

"Hey- _hey_ , at least you won't have Kikyo bangs anymore." Kagome sighed, blowing her breath up and moving her hair.

 _"Fine_ , simple though, I don't want them covering my eye."

"Gotcha."

The Host Club "oo"ed and "awe"d at Kagome as she entered the ballroom, Kaoru nudged Hikaru when he caught his brother staring.

"Kago-chan!" Hunny said breathlessly, his eyes wide as he looked up at her. "You look _so_ beautiful!"

Kagome blushed, rubbing her neck as there was really no hair to tuck away. With her newly cut bangs all Shippo did was then pin them to the side of her head and out of the way, then he and Saburo put small jeweled snowflakes in her hair.

Her dress was long, black silk. It didn't bulk out like other ball gowns did but it went straight down and hugged her curves rather enticingly, there wasn't much of a drop in the neckline to show cleavage (which she was thankful for), and it did have sleeves- but they were the kind that went to the sides around her arms, not over her shoulders.

Really she was just glad it wasn't strapless.

"I feel ridiculous," Kagome murmured, blushing from the attention she was getting by her friends. Tamaki approached, red faced and charming.

"You look lovely," Tamaki kissed her hand.

Even Mori had to turn his head from her.

"Where's Kyoya?" Kagome asked, looking around at the group.

"He went out to greet the chef's and other wait staff." Tamaki said.

"So why did we have to show up so early?"

"To sample all the food, of course!" Tamaki cheered. Kagome blinked at how ridiculous it was but when she glanced around to gain support for it she saw the other Hosts look rather excited and pleased.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is a ridiculous reason?"

"Not at all, if the food wasn't as good as it is then yeah it would be rather silly." Kaoru said, sliding up to one of her sides.

"But since the food _is_ so good it _is_ worth it to be here rather early." Hikaru said, sliding up to her other side. Kagome huffed, rolling her eyes at them.

"I suppose I should've asked this before, but what other type of dancing will there be?"

"Well-" Tamaki started but got interrupted.

"-There's the classic Ballroom Dance, you know- the tango, the waltz, the _Viennese_ waltz-" Kyoya said as he walked into the room, his ledger opened as he wrote something down in it. The twins and Tamaki smiled secretly and stepped away from Kagome, bringing Mori and Hunny with them.

Kyoya looked up and trailed off when he saw her, his eyes widening as he stopped walking, his mouth hanging open slightly.

Kagome turned to look at him, the back of her dress being low and showing off the muscles in her back, and even just parts of her scar. He's seen it before, they all had during summer, but it was still a bit of a shock just to… see it.

She was… magnificent; stunning; exquisite; eye-catching; dazzling; spectacular; striking; astonishing; staggering; bewildering; dazing; paralyzingly gorgeous-

Beautiful.

Kagome blushed from Kyoya's rather obvious stare, he didn't move, Hikaru wasn't sure if he was actually _breathing_.

"Kyoya?" Kagome slowly walked up to him, waving a small hand in front of his face. He followed her face with his eyes. She wasn't wearing a lot of makeup- hardly any, actually.

And he loved it.

"D-do you," he coughed, getting his bearings and shaking his head a little. "Do you remember how to dance?"

"I just remember the one you taught me," she said breathlessly, not quite sure why they were talking so lowly. As if the conversation was just for the two of them.

"The Majority of guests will be female, but there may be some male guests as well. Let's be safe and run a quick crash course on the other dances."

"Would you like us to stay, Kyoya?" Tamaki spoke up, not actually planning on staying at all.

"No-no," Kyoya said, finally removing his eyes from Kagome's, "You all go eat, we will be down with you shortly."

"Yeah, right." Hikaru and Kaoru said together, nudging each other out the door with Hunny and Mori close behind, Tamaki was the last out but he gave the two of them a deviant smile and even an evil laugh as he closed the door.

Kyoya sighed, rubbing his eyes at Tamaki's actions.

"Ky-Kyoya?" Kagome asked softly. He looked down at her with a slightly raised eyebrow. "You didn't have to do this- the crash course dance, with me, you know." She was stammering and blushing, twisting her fingers and even dragging her foot tip along the ground.

But she couldn't help it, he looked so dashing and handsome in his suit (well of course all the Hosts looked amazing in their suits), but Kyoya's… Just fit him _so_ well. His royal purple vest and tie, the golden buttons that shined brighter than her future, the freshly ironed pants and jacket- even the jacket cuffs of golden little roses. His hair was nicely combed, his eyebrows fine and perfect like they _always_ were.

He just looked so- so-

He cupped her cheek, effectively stopping her train of thought as he brought her face towards his and he smiled charmingly to her, and suddenly she realized she couldn't tell the difference of if he was being genuine or if he was being a… Host.

"It truly is my pleasure to teach you how to dance, Kagome…"

The Hosts hardly called their customers by their names (it wasn't the right business approach), but even though he smiled to her like he did his customers, with his low lidded eyes- something felt different about this Kyoya.

Like he really was being genuine with the look he was giving her, like he was a cat and she was a robin and she would be his lunch, or dinner.

But most importantly she would be _his_.

Kagome took a shuddering breath, squaring her shoulders and looking up at him, he held his hands out and she took his, his right hand sliding across her waist, and her left hand grasping his shoulder.

And so he led her into the dance she already knew, just to… recap.

* * *

Satoshi, Shippo, Sesshoumaru, Saburo, and even Sesshoumaru's two other children (Daichi, Sesshoumaru's oldest son, and Ren, Sesshoumaru's only daughter) joined them in the limo. Daichi reminded Saburo of Mori, the big, silent type of guy. Although Daichi had some smart comment to make about _everything_. Saburo really liked Ren though, even though she was as cold as her father but as sultry as her mother tended to be, she had always been really _sweet_ to him.

But his cousins, brother-sister, _whatever_ they were, were boring. Daichi never went out of his human form, almost being caught a few too many times so now he's paranoid as all hell; and even though Ren didn't stay in her human form 24/7, she did make sure her hair was just a constant black. Even though her real hair was _so_ cool because it was mostly white with black stripes! Like a zebra!

Saburo got excited thinking about it, he remembered following her around when he was a toddler and asking her to change her hair color for him all the time. He wanted to see it again, and when he turned to look at the two of them they sent daggers at him through glares. Saburo slumped down, crossing his arms and pouting at them.

Didn't even get him a chance, damn.

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't go to the Christmas gathering thing Kagome put together," Satoshi spoke up, looking over at Saburo. Saburo gave a weak smile and twisted the piercing he had in his ear.

"Yeah… I wanted too, but ya know, keep up appearances and all." Saburo trailed off, picking at invisible fuzzies on his suit jacket. He felt rather dejected. It's been how many years since he's seen Daichi and Ren and they give him the cold shoulder? Even Sesshoumaru didn't give it to him _that_ badly.

Satoshi seemed rather confused but Shippo placed his hand in front of his son's face and shook his head slowly.

* * *

"1…2 3. I cross my feet at the 3, then… 1-" he spun her and their feet moved again, "2 3, then you cross your feet." He looked down but couldn't exactly see her feet since her dress was in the way. At least that's what he told himself _why_ he looked down. A blush covered his cheeks and worked its way back to his ears.

Kagome blushed herself, but really she was too busy trying to remember the steps to this Viennese waltz. It was _just_ like the normal waltz- except about 5X harder.

Music now played since it was rather awkward dancing in silence, but still it was quiet enough that the two could talk without having to strain to hear the other.

Kyoya smiled secretly to himself, turning her quickly and leading her into a spin, then he dipped her. Kagome's eyes widened as the room spun around her, and then she was upside down, she looked up at Kyoya and couldn't help the grin that split across her face as she laughed at that, and he smiled a little larger.

* * *

"Ahh~ The Tashio clan, wonderful!" Yoshio and his wife approached the small group. "So pleased you could make it."

"Ootori." Sesshoumaru said with mild disdain but the two head of the homes bowed towards each other either way. "Thank you for inviting us, your Christmas parties are always so…." Sesshoumaru trailed off, looking for the word.

Yoshio's eyebrow ticked, but he continued to smile either way.

"Yes, yes. I had something I would like to discuss with you, if I may." Sesshoumaru seemed less than pleased, but nodded. Shippo stepped forward as well (in his human disguise of course).

"Right, then lead the way, Yoshio." Satoshi Senior said, his arms tucked behind his back. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow down at Shippo, who took the look of an extremely old man. True, in Sesshoumaru's human disguise he wasn't much younger, if anything he looked like a fit 60 year old man, not a crippled barely breathing 80 year old.

But then again Shippo did like using his superior intelligence, strength, and speed against unsuspecting humans when he was disguised this way, so… it wasn't always a bad thing.

Yoshio opened the door to his study for the two older men, closing it slowly behind him.

* * *

"Boss," Hikaru piped up from his plate of food. Tamaki looked up with noodles hanging from his mouth. Hikaru and Kaoru sniggered and Hunny laughed. "So… Kyoya and Kagome?" Mori looked up from his food then too, also looking to Tamaki.

Tamaki finished his mouth full, coughing slightly in embarrassment.

"I guess so, I've never seen him act that way before." Tamaki set his fork down and folded his hands in front of his face. "He's always been so serious, but whenever he did have fun it was the cruel kind- just something minor out of place in your life that would ruin your day. He finds fun in other's misery." The twins looked at each other apprehensively, but Hunny and Mori nodded in understanding. "To see him like this, it reminds me of when we first became friends last year. He got so frustrated."

"So… How do we get them together?" The twins wiggled their eyebrows, Tamaki looked rather surprised but grinned.

"Winter is the perfect time for romance! And what better place than the ski lodge? There's warm fireplaces, a big communal area, large rooms for cuddling. Hot tubs, swimming pools, ice skating and skiing! There's an ice skating rink not far down the mountain from the resort, I'll rent us a driver and we'll go down there, just the three of us. I'll make sure that they get along without a hitch." Tamaki gave a thumbs up and a wink at them.

"Make sure you take pictures for us!" Hikaru and Kaoru said, and Hunny visualized Kagome and Kyoya skating together.

* * *

"I've noticed that my son and your… Kagome, have been getting rather close" Yoshio said, walking around his desk to his chair. Sesshoumaru and Shippo raised eyebrows at each other.

"Yes, she tends to enrapture any who come near. She works her way into your heart." Shippo said, and Sesshoumaru nodded with that. "She's a bright young girl with a good head on her shoulders, sweet too. But she's a little spitfire."

"I've noticed she seems rather keen on worming her way into my sons life, I can't have her distracting him from his studies if he is to run the Ootori business one day."

"What would you like us to do about it? She's her own woman, she can decide who to spend her time with."

"I don't want her around my son and distracting him more than he already is from his studies _unless_ …"

"Unless." Sesshoumaru spit, knowing where the man was going and crinkled his nose at the thought.

"Unless they were to be married, and our companies would join together, we could create a monopoly of Japan, my family controlling most of the medical field, and yours having a good hand in electric and eco-friendly vehicles, as well as solar energy and even a hand in clothing."

"Absolutely not-" Shippo started but Sesshoumaru put his hand out, eyes closed as he thought.

" _We_ will not speak for her, like you do for the little Ootori." Sesshoumaru started. "It is in our best interest that our families be combined, but it is her decision. We will let her heart guide her."

Shippo stared wide eyed up at Sesshoumaru, before glaring slightly. Sesshoumaru meet his gaze challengingly, but seeing as _he_ was alpha of their pack, Shippo didn't stand a chance. The old man's gaze travelled to the floor.

Yoshio's smile tensed as he gripped the back of his chair tighter _"damn."_

* * *

"It's almost time to welcome our guests in and we haven't even had dinner yet," Kyoya stated as he led her into another twirl, Kagome giggled again as she was brought back into his chest. She smiled up at him, being rather bold and placing a chaste kiss to his chin.

"Would you be offended if I said I wasn't hungry?" She said, eyes low lidded as she gave him the same secret smile he gave her earlier. Kyoya grinned predatorily as he leaned closer to her.

"Offended? No, not at all. But I must say I'm rather _hungry_ myself." Kagome batted her eyelashes at him.

"Well there's nothing stopping you from leaving right now and walking out the door," she said challengingly, she even stepped away from him and let go of his hand to emphasize it. She stood a few steps from him and crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow as she did, a smug smile in place.

Kyoya stood for one moment, then moved over to her in two easy steps.

"Oh, but there is. A foolish man's own heart." He replied softly, confusion crossed over her features for one moment before electricity shot through her veins and her eyes widened.

 _Oh._

His lips were… softer than they appeared to be, and his breath tasted like peppermint.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this longer chapter! Please please pleeeeaaaasssseee review! Also! I have a picture of what I imagine Saburo to look like up on my facebook page! Link is on my bio!**_


	24. The Ski Resort!

(Chapter 24)

Kagome was still dazed even as she walked through the hallways of the Tashio mansion, her heart fluttering, her head buzzing, and her lips still tingling and when she licked them they still tasted like _peppermint_.

Saburo met her in front of her bedroom door, and he gave her a curious look when she blushed and ducked her head. Shippo approached from down the hall, scratching at his itchy head. Saburo put his hand out to slow him down and stop him from going into Kagome's room right away.

"What happened?" Shippo asked him, Saburo gave him a confused look.

"Are we sure the driver brought home the right Kagome?"

Shippo blinked. "Of course he did."

"What's going on?" Satoshi yawned as he came out of his own room, rubbing his eyes as his little ducky slippers quacked as he walked. Saburo's eyes widened as he saw Satoshi's blue and yellow ducky pajamas.

"Kagome's acting different." Shippo said.

"Have you always had those?" Saburo asked, Satoshi looked down at what he was wearing then crossed his arms.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Nothing, nothing… just the fact that you're a 400 year old demon still wearing ducky pajamas!" Saburo laughed, Satoshi glared at him.

"486!" Satoshi stomped his foot. Shippo dragged his hand down across his face.

"Kagome?" Shippo knocked on her bedroom door, opening it slowly, he peaked his head in, then Satoshi, and Saburo was last on the bottom.

Kagome was sitting in front of her vanity, humming softly to herself as she took her hair out and the small diamond snowflakes that were in it, Satoshi and Saburo exchanged concerned glances.

"Shippo? You said you would fix my bangs?" Kagome turned to look at them, her hair curled nicely and her bangs curling with the rest of it. Shippo stepped into the room rather nervously.

"Are you… Alright?" Shippo asked as he approached her, she smiled and nodded.

"Wonderful, actually."

Shippo combed her bangs back out, cutting them quickly and effectively back across her forehead, now they were barely covering her eyebrows. Kagome smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"How did it go tonight?" Shippo leaned back against her vanity, and Kagome grinned and spun around in her chair, squealing.

"It was magnificent! I had no idea how to do the other dances that would be required so Kyoya gave me another crash course, and we danced for about two hours- my feet killed me and that wasn't even the Christmas party!"

"Then how was it so…"

"He kissed me!" Kagome held her cheeks as she blushed, spinning around in the chair still. Shippo's eyes widened as he watched her, his fists clenching as he looked away.

"In the morning there is something that Sesshoumaru would like to speak with you about." Shippo grounded out through clenched teeth, he pushed himself off her vanity and went to the door, pushing past his son and Saburo.

Satoshi and Saburo gave each other concerned looks, and even Kagome stopped her spinning to look worriedly after Shippo.

* * *

Kagome's bags were packed and ready, there were only two but she still felt bad that there wasn't one. But winter clothes weren't small.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome opened his study slowly, it was dark in there, his desk lamp being the only light. He sat at his desk, writing something down in his books.

"Yes- Miko, come in." Sesshoumaru looked up, sitting straight in his chair as he moved his glasses off his face.

"Shippo told me last night there was something you wanted to speak with me about?"

Sesshoumaru sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I do not… exactly know how to tell you this, Kagome." Kagome looked concerned as she sat down at one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Yoshio, Kyoya's father, approached Shippo and I last night and asked for us to set you in an arranged marriage with Kyoya once you two got out of high school."

Kagome gasped, her eyes wide as she covered her mouth.

"We told him that we could not make that decision for you, seeing as he already had for his son. I'm confident that Kyoya had no previous knowledge of his father's intentions, so whatever happened between the two of you the past few months has been genuine."

"Sesshoumaru- I'm only 17, I'm still in my first year of high school- I-I can't…" She trailed off, rubbing her hands together and playing with her fingers, her mind was racing and her heart was pounding.

"You do not need to make a decision anytime soon," Sesshoumaru leaned over and placed his hand on top of her own. "Yoshio wants us. He will do anything we ask of him, if we tell him to wait for your answer, he will. Like a loyal dog."

Kagome wasn't sure that made her feel any better.

* * *

Kagome approached Kyoya's home full of nerves. Her mind had been racing ever since Sesshoumaru told her the news. Did Kyoya really not know? He wasn't just trying to woo her, right?

"Kagome," Kyoya met her outside the door, his grey, long tailed coat buttoned up tight and slim black gloves covered his fingers. "My father told me last night what he asked your family, I want to apologize for that. What he did was truly distasteful." Kyoya's nose crinkled but he pushed his glasses up and sighed, he ran a hand through his hair and gripped it. "I was so shocked and-and angry at him for doing that, he never asked me-"

Kagome put one of her bags down and carefully gripped Kyoya's free hand with her own, she smiled weakly up at him.

"Kyoya, it's O.K. I'm… just a little out of sorts. Right now." Had she always been this awkward around people? "Last night was… Lovely." She said finally, looking up at him. Kyoya lowered his hand from his head, some of his hair still crinkled. He stared down at her with such a gentle and relieved smile.

"Come in, we're waiting for the Twins now to get here." He didn't let go of her hand as he led her into the mansion.

* * *

As soon as the Twins arrived they brought out tickets with big grins on their faces, Kagome looked at them curiously while Kyoya seemed mildly annoyed.

"What are those?" Hunny jumped up and ran over to the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru grinned to each other.

"As soon as we realized a train went to the same town the ski resort is in we bought us all tickets!" Hikaru said rather proudly.

Kaoru nodded, "We always drive everywhere anyways; we thought a train would be more fun!"

"Wonderful idea boys!" Tamaki said, throwing his arms around the twins. Kagome smiled at them then looked up to see Kyoya and his lowered brows. He was glaring at the twins, and Kagome knocked her elbow against his. He seemed rather surprised when he looked down at her, she only tilted her head and smiled gently up at him.

"Hey, it's not the end of the world if something doesn't go your way," she turned her head and looked over to their group of friends talking excitedly about the train ride, "sometimes you just need to enjoy the things that are going your way and take the ones that aren't in stride." She looked back up at him and smiled. "Sometimes it's for the better anyways."

Kyoya nodded once, turning back to their friends and watching silently, thinking to himself.

"So what I'm hearing that you're more excited about the train ride than the limo ride too."

"Wait- N-no! I didn't say that-"

"But you're thinking it."

Kagome stopped what she was going to say, her fists clenched at her sides as she stared wide eyed at him. Kyoya was laughing to himself, with a boyish grin and his eyes squinted. A blush coated Kagome's cheeks as she realized that he was _teasing_ her.

* * *

The snowy country side of Japan flew by the windows of the train and Kagome was completely enraptured by the beauty of it. Hikaru, Kaoru, and Hunny were all running up and down the train exploring it.

"Stay within these three cars," Kagome warned them, knowing exactly what they were going to do. Kaoru and Hunny grinned, and Hikaru blushed in embarrassment.

"How come you always know what we're up to?" Hikaru grumbled, Kyoya and Tamaki looked up from their chess game the seat across the row. Kagome scratched her cheek, laughing lightly.

"I'm a great judge of character."

Hikaru and Kaoru punched each other's arms, turning to Hunny and Mori.

"We're hiding first!"

"Aye, aye!" Hunny saluted, Mori following his lead, the two of them sat down in a compartment and put their heads on the tables, counting loudly. The twins knocked against each other and pushed each other to the other ends of the cart, disappearing through the doors.

Kagome caught Kyoya's eyes and gave him a soft smile, she turned away to look back out the window again, sighing to herself.

"Kyoya?" Tamaki looked up from the board, watching his friend closely. He seemed to be frowning at Kagome, but it didn't seem to actually be directed toward her. Kyoya sighed eventually, turning back the chess game.

"She'll be the ruin of me, I can tell already." Tamaki grinned as he picked up a pawn, setting it down with a flourish as he winked at his friend.

"Ahh, but isn't romance taking a chance at that?"

Kyoya frowned but then smirked, sweeping Tamaki's Knight easily as he turned it in his fingers.

"I guess it just all depends on how well placed your moves are."

Tamaki blinked curiously but then grinned at his friend.

"Such a devil you are,"

"Nice of you to catch on."

* * *

"Oh wow," Kagome gasped as they arrived at the resort, the rest of the Host Club stepped off the shuttle bus that picked them up from the train station. It was big, the mountains behind it were tall, and there beautiful, lush, tall trees and a forest that surrounded it and down the mountain from which the Resort sat in a nice little nook of.

"I don't remember this place…" Kagome said to herself breathlessly, looking around at the little flurries of snow that started to fall from the sky once again, Hikaru and Kaoru almost immediately started a snowball fight with each other, dragging Hunny and Tamaki in on it. Mori stood off to the side, watching Mitsukuni run and dodge each snowball thrown at him.

Kagome was surprised when it was 3 on 1, and the 3 lost against Hunny.

"I win! I win!" He had jumped up and down, cheering. Kagome clapped for them all, happy that they were able to have fun.

"Come on, it's getting dark." Kyoya looked to the mountain ridge and watched as the sun's rays were slowly moving down. Everyone picked up their bags and headed inside where two nicely dressed men were waiting seemingly for them.

"Ahh! Young Ootori, you're here at last!"

"Yes," Kyoya fixed his glasses as the three bowed to each other. "We had taken a different means of travel, not by my decision I assure you." Kyoya shot a devastating glare over his shoulder at the twins. They just laughed nervously, stepping farther away from him.

"Talk about a shady king," Hikaru grumbled. Kaoru nodded in return.

"Or a shadow demon." The two looked to each other.

"Or a _shadow king_ -"

"Will you two knock it off," Kyoya called. "Come on, they're showing us to our rooms."

Hikaru and Kaoru grumbled as they stomped their feet in unison and followed behind, Kaoru's eyes widening slightly and his steps slowed.

"Hikaru," Kaoru called to his brother softly, reaching out to him to slow him down. Hikaru looked mildly annoyed back at his brother, then Kaoru gestured back towards Kyoya. Hikaru raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

Then he noticed how closely Kyoya and Kagome were walking together, their fingertips brushing against the other.

Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged secretive smiles.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the (late?) update, holiday's and family and all that. Since not a lot of people have liked my facebook page (aww :( ) that I should also make the announcement here that next weekend I will be gone for about a week and more than likely not able to update, so I'll work as hard as I can to get the story updated at least until I leave.**_

 _ **Review please! (I know, I know... Filler chapters suuuuck.)**_


	25. Winter's Eve Kiss

(Chapter 25)

"I'm going to murder them-"

"Kyoya,"

"-Hide their bodies in the frozen river, yes- _yes_. It'll be an accident, just an accident. An unfortunate-"

 _"Kyoya_." Kagome groaned out, flopping back on the bed. "The hotel staff are on it to remove the doors, they don't exactly have a handyman on duty the day after Christmas."

" _Then let those damn twins get us out of here_." He ground out through gritted teeth, sighing as he threw down his coat on the lounger in front of the bed, he sat down in a huff on it with his arms crossed. Kagome rolled her eyes and sat up on the bed, looking out the large double doors that led out to the terrace. She sighed, looking over at the seemingly glowing mountain side and the dark blue sky, stars started to appear in the break of the clouds.

"There could be much worse places to get stuck than a hotel room." Kagome said, her shoulders slumping as she remembered a time where she and Shippo had gotten stuck underground, and it was actually Sesshoumaru that came and saved them.

Sesshoumaru…

Kagome sighed to herself, wondering where her standing with the demon truly was. He treated her so fondly, with better care than InuYasha had.

It was strange, really it was because now her Kit- son, Shippo, was a father, and his son was her friend and was her boss. And Sesshoumaru and Shippo are both now more like guardians to her, when in her time about two years ago it was the other way around.

"I suppose you're right," Kyoya said finally, bringing Kagome crashing out of her thoughts. She stared rather shocked at Kyoya as he relented much easier than she had thought he would. He looked calm now, with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, his head tilted down slightly but she recognized it as when he was thinking.

Kagome couldn't help the soft smile that overcame her face, suddenly feeling rather relaxed despite the otherwise… interesting situation the two of them found themselves in caused by two mischievous twins.

You see… When the hotel director and the bellboy were showing them the rooms, Hikaru and Kaoru called Kyoya and Kagome back to the first one to point something out, effectively distracting them as they locked the doors behind them and taking the door handles off the doors, trapping them.

Kagome could see why Kyoya would want to murder them, although she didn't understand why so viscously.

 _"Better act fast, Mommy." Hikaru whispered to Kyoya through the door. "Or someone might take Kagome right from under your fingertips, but I can guarantee that it won't be me."_

 _Kyoya's frown deepened as he clenched the hole the doorknob once was._

* * *

"Sorry it's not much," Hunny apologized as he squeezed a couple bags of sweets, peanuts, and other small bagged food items through the doorknob hole. Kyoya stood behind Kagome who was kneeling on the floor in front of the door as Hunny gave them what food would fit through the doorknob hole (after he tried sticking a piece of cake through it and Tamaki attempting a sandwich Kagome had to tell them that there were snack and drink machines down in the main lobby somewhere.)

"Don't worry about it Hunny," Kagome smiled at him as he stuck his eye to the hole. Kagome gently reached her hand through it (her hand being just small enough) and gripped onto his own. "We'll be out by morning, the hotel manager already apologized to us about the incident and said the man will be here in the morning around 8."

Hunny nodded teary eyed, even though Kagome couldn't see it and squeezed her hand gently, Mori picked her hand up after Hunny dropped it and give it an affectionate little rub on the back with his thumb.

"See you in the morning, Kagome."

"See you two in the morning." She smiled, even though they couldn't see it they could hear it in her voice. After they left she stood up with a small armful of food and turned smiling back to Kyoya. As she approached she seemed rather sheepish, she gave him a shy smile. "I know it isn't 5 stars, or gourmet… But it's all we have for now- and, and look! Being stuck isn't going to be that bad." Kagome gave him a few bags and she kept a few, putting the others on the counter in the kitchen area.

"At least we can watch TV- and there's a gaming system!" Kagome gasped, putting her bagged food on the coffee table and running over to the wall where the TV and other systems were at. Kyoya looked at the food in his hands, then over at the small girl that was excitedly switching through channels and looking at movies offered.

"They even have American Movies! Kyoya! Look at _this!_ " Kagome was excited, jumping up and down and already getting comfortable in their confines for the night; her jacket and scarf shed on the couch in a small pile, her outer layer of pants were missing as well so she explored the room in her cherry blossom patterned leggings.

Kyoya blushed suddenly, putting the food in his arms down on the kitchen counter as he ran the water in the sink to splash some on his face, he grabbed a towel from nearby and patted his face dry, getting what lewd images he could from his mind.

This was _Kagome_ , his _friend!_

 _"One day maybe your wife."_ A voice from his mind spoke up, Kyoya's eyes widened against the towel, his glasses laid on the side near the sink, not even remembering taking them off. His movements stilled for a moment, he slowly looked up. He grabbed his glasses, situating them back on his face.

He looked over to the girl who was jumping from foot to foot in her excitement, he couldn't see her face but he knew she was grinning.

" _She's exceptional, father obviously approves. And I've liked her before he almost ruined it. You're staying the night with the woman that you are infatuated with."_

"Not infatuation," Kyoya said softly to himself, giving the most sincerest of smiles that he's felt in a really long time when Kagome turned to look back at him, her cheeks flushed and grinning in excitement. "Love."

* * *

With popcorn in their hands (Hunny had managed to slide a couple prewrapped bags of it under the door), the two sat down for a movie that was playing on a common channel. Kyoya didn't really pay attention to the name of it, and was rather lost on the plot too, but Kagome seemed to really enjoy it.

Kyoya stretched his arms out along the back of the couch, resting his head back and closing his eyes as the movie played in the background.

"Kyoya?" Kagome spoke up softly, he hummed in response but didn't open his eyes to look at her. "When is your birthday?"

That got his attention. He sat up and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you want to know?" Kagome hugged the pillow she'd been holding to herself a bit tighter, glancing off to the side.

"I was just curious is all." Kyoya gave her a small frown before sighing, rubbing at his eyes under his glasses.

"November 22nd was my 17th birthday."

Kagome looked at him rather surprised, her eyes wide.

"And we didn't celebrate your birthday!" Kagome gasped, "but it's so close to mine-"

"The only one who knew was Tamaki and I made sure he knew that I wasn't in the mood for celebrating it." Kyoya grumbled, Kagome gave a soft nod before settling back against the couch.

"Come on, I know there's more on your mind." Kyoya leaned against the couch with his arm propped against it, and Kagome turned so she was facing him.

"Well," she blushed nervously, glancing at the TV and seeing the leading characters kissing. She blushed a bit more. "With everything that's happened, are we going to be alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"With the… Kiss, last night." She stumbled over the words, blushing more. "And then with your father asking my guardians for us to be married. And you didn't know?"

"I had no idea he was going to do _that_ -" Kyoya said quickly, he clenched his jaw and his hand and slowly released both as he sighed, getting his thoughts together.

"Kagome, when we first met I didn't think very highly of you at all."

"You weren't my favorite person either," she said slowly, hugging the pillow to her person again.

"And you got on my nerves and interfered with my plans of the Host Club, by then I really didn't like you." Kagome's eyes lowered to the red cushions they were sitting on. Kyoya rubbed his temples, why was he saying these things?

"But then, something happened along the way, something I wasn't ready to come to terms with and tried to push them away harder than before. When you came stumbling to me, and we had developed the Companion Project so someone was with you at all times at least escorting you to and from school, you struck a sort of chord in me. And I started to develop… feelings. For you." He had turned away by then, his elbows on his knees and his hands folding together. His cheeks were burning and he could feel her staring holes into him but he didn't want to look at her just yet.

"But then I didn't realize them, not quite. I became strangely possessive of you even though I had no reason to, and I didn't like that. I tried to find ways to make you quit the Host Club, but when you finally said you would- I-" He sighed again, rubbed his eyes from under his glasses then gripped his hands together again. "-it felt like I was losing some part of me and it shattered, I don't know why I was acting the way I was towards you back then." He turned to her finally, seeing her wide eyed but having her complete attention onto him.

"I'm sorry, for all of that." Kagome blinked a few times, she turned her head away then, looking back at the coffee table that had their popcorn and her snacks on.

"It was something that needed to happen," Kagome said finally. Kyoya looked rather surprised at her words and she could see it. "I won't say you're forgiven, because Kyoya you really hurt me back then. I guess it's all forgotten about now, but I'm sure someday soon you'll earn my affection back." She winked at him, and he stared at her.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"May I kiss you again?"

"W-what!"

* * *

The two of them were rather red faced by the time they both insisted on going to bed, their little kiss turning to be a little bit more than a kiss…

 _His lips were soft and sadly didn't taste of peppermint this time, they were rather salty-_

Kagome's eyes were having a hard time focusing on the TV, her hands still a little bit jittery.

 _He hovered over her, tracing her sides with his hand as his lips met her neck in soft, feathery light kisses-_

Kyoya rubbed his eyes, trying to remember what damn show they were watching now.

 _She pushed him up, laying him on the other side of the couch as she crawled on top of him, kissing him deeply-_

Kagome shifted in her spot, reaching for her glass of water as she took a couple sips from it.

 _His fingertips held onto her hips and she rocked her hips against his-_

Kyoya looked over, seeing a drop of water come out the side of her mouth and fall off at her chin.

 _She gave a soft moan as he bit her lip softly and he stifled his own groan-_

Kyoya stood up quickly, ducking his head as he went into the bedroom.

"I'm heading to bed now! Goodnight Kagome."

"Oh- umm, goodnight then, Kyoya." Kagome said awkwardly, her own face still red as she covered it when the sliding door closed.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I'm so excited! Next chapter is going to be a BIG ONE (not that this one wasn't exciting in it's own way *wink wink nudge nudge*)**_

 _ **I also have another poll up on my profile for a future story I'm thinking about writing and I need your help to decide the couple!**_

 _ **Review please!**_


	26. Ski Trip!

(Chapter 26)

Something clicked in the background, but it was gone soon after. Voices were muffled, quiet, but grating on his _ears_.

 _Why is it so damn loud_? He went to move but found his arms had a heavy weight on them. Something warm was pressed into his chest, and suddenly he had the smell of fresh rain in his nose. It was rather soothing.

But _that damn noise_.

He was groggy, and couldn't exactly focus on what was going on around him.

 _"But if we wake Kyoya up now he'll murder us,"_ someone said, and there was murmuring going on around him.

 _"It's your guys' fault that they were stuck in here all night."_ Kyoya recognized the voice as Tamaki's. Stuck? Stuck where?

… _"That's right,_ " Kyoya thought to himself as he sighed in his weightless in between stages of sleep and awake. _"Kagome and I were trapped in a room last night_."

And suddenly last night flooded back to him and his eyes widened. The room was bright but part of his vision was in black. It didn't help that he couldn't make anything out without his glasses on.

He blinked a few times, breathed deeply as he stretched as best as he could with the weight that was on his arm.

He was able to slip his arm from whatever weight was on it and he moved to lay on his back, staring at the ceiling now. He rubbed at his eyes, groaning as he looked at the clock that was on the bedside table next to him. He reached blindly for his glasses, finally getting a hand on the side and pulling them up to his face.

He blinked a few times, trying to get his headache to go away and noticed that three heads were sticking up from the lounger in front of the bed.

He blinked at them before looking over at the clock, seeing it was only 9 in the morning. He frowned back over to the twins and Tamaki.

"And _why_ are you three in my room."

 _"The Shadow King_." Hikaru and Kaoru said fearfully, shrinking farther down on the lounger. Tamaki sweat dropped, rubbing the back of his head as he stood up and moved over to the side of the bed Kyoya was on.

"Well the door was fixed earlier this morning so we were all wondering if you were even up by now. We were all planning on going skiing for at least part of the day, I also wanted to go ice skating at the rink at the bottom of the mountain, the Twins and Hunny and Mori don't seem that interested, so I wanted to talk with you and Kagome about going, seeing as going alone isn't nearly as fun."

Kyoya glared at his idiotic friend.

"You're an idiot." Kyoya grumbled, reaching up and rubbing at his rather sore neck. "You know I'm not a morning person, how dare you three wake me up." He grumbled, looking back over to them. Tamaki exchanged curious glances with the twins.

"I'm sorry Kyoya, usually you don't sleep in until 9 though. Were you and Kagome really up that late?"

Kyoya blinked slowly, the rest of last night's actions coming into mind.

"No, I went to bed around midnight, I can't speak for her though. I'm not sure when she fell asleep. I left her out in the living area watching TV."

"Is that so?" Hikaru grinned, leaning over the lounger closer to the bed.

"So then why are you shirtless?" Kaoru asked, copying his twin in actions.

"I seem to have lost my bags." Kyoya stated, glaring at the twins. "Oh, _right_. They didn't get locked in here with me-"

"What's with all the noise?" A voice groaned from beside him, and Kyoya jumped slightly and stared wide eyed at the person sleeping next to him in bed. Kagome pushed the sheets off from around her shoulder, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she sat up. She yawned herself, stretching her arms up over her head, unaware at the four sets of eyes watching her wide eyed.

Kyoya's cheeks were as flushed as the twins', and Tamaki had to cover his eyes and turn his head away. Kagome rubbed her eyes, blinking the sleep from them as she focused finally.

Hikaru and Kaoru's faces were red. Kagome blinked slowly then looked down at what she was wearing, which was just a tank top.

But she did take off her bra in the bathroom, and her nipples decided that it was time to make an appearance this morning.

Kagome's eyes widened as a blush coated her cheeks, she covered her breasts with her arms and turned wide eyed to Kyoya. He looked just as surprised as she did.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Umm… _Sleeping._ I tried sleeping out on the couch but that was so uncomfortable so I slipped in here but- I was on the other side of the bed." She looked rather lost and confused, she shifted underneath the sheets and her eyes widened again, her face blushing furiously again.

She looked over the side of the bed and saw her cherry blossom printed leggings laying discarded on the floor. She let a high pitched whine out from the back of her throat.

Kyoya blinked, rubbing his head.

"Can you three _please_ _get out_." He bit out, Tamaki and the twins nodded, backing out of the room and closing the sliding door as they did so.

Kagome sat red faced and pants less under the covers next to Kyoya, who also sat pants less in his boxers as well as shirtless.

"This is awkward." Kagome stated dryly, and Kyoya nodded in agreement.

* * *

Tamaki looked over at the two who were obviously avoiding eye contact with each other, Kagome poked around at her food and Kyoya had already eaten his and was just sitting there with his elbows on the table and his hands folded in front of his face.

"We had planned on going skiing later today, we would really like for you two to join us-"

"Yes!" Kagome said quickly, putting her hands on the table and standing up quickly. "I would love to learn to ski, I'll get ready." Kagome blushed, moving quickly away from the table he rest of the Hosts had sat at, when she left Kyoya sighed, rubbing his eyes from under his glasses.

"What happened last night?" Tamaki asked his friend, Kyoya fixed his glasses but kept his head in his hand.

"I don't know, a lot I suppose." He grumbled out, not really wanting to share what had happened at the end of his night.

"I hope you will be joining us then." Tamaki said, Kyoya looked up at him and then at the others around the table. He sighed.

"There's a few things I have to do, but I will go ice skating with you later." Tamaki gave a small frown but nodded.

"I hope Kagome will be able to join us then."

"She probably will, she's only been ice skating once with her father when she was little and she's never been back since, but she did say that she would like to learn again." Kyoya took a sip from his drink, and when he looked up again the rest of the Hosts looked rather surprised and impressed.

"Do you know how to ice skate, Kyo-chan?" Hunny asked from the other side of the table, Kyoya shook his head slowly.

"No, my parents never took my siblings and myself to do such things. It _was_ always work and study." The other hosts exchanged glances.

"Well lucky for you, _mon ami_ , I'll be more than happy to teach you."

Kyoya sighed. "Fine, later."

* * *

"Kyoya's not joining us?" Kagome asked rather dejectedly when she realized that he wasn't with the small group as they all met up at the bottom of the mountain by the sky lift.

"Mother had to do finances because Father likes to use the Host Club funds to buy things." The twins said in unison, knocking against each other on their snow boards. Kagome raised an eyebrow over at Tamaki, he laughed nervously, shrugging.

"Alright, Princess," he came up next to Kagome, looking at her excitedly. "Do you know how to ski?"

"No." She glared at Tamaki for calling her _princess_. "I don't."

"Wonderful! I'll be more than happy to teach you!"

"Takashi and I can help too!" Hunny called out, waving his hands excitedly. Kagome giggled, smiling as they all got ready to take the ski lift up the mountain.

"Oh, Kagome would you like to join Kyoya and I later for ice skating?" They way Tamaki tilted his head at her made her blush, she scratched her cheek with her glove and looked down at the ground and couldn't help the small smile on her face as the ground got farther and farther away from her.

"I haven't been since I was really little, the last time was when my dad was still alive…" She trailed off softly, her heart heavy of nostalgia as she remembered a time with Sango and Miroku that they all played in the snow, Sango trying to get Kagome out onto a frozen lake with her.

"I'd love to go with you and Kyoya." Kagome turned back to him with such bright eyes that Tamaki had to turn away this time, hiding his own blush under his scarf as they made their way to the starting position on the mountain.

"Pizza- French Fry!" Hikaru and Kaoru yelled to them as they passed over, heading farther up the mountain.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a couple days, I forgot that leaving for a week you get really busy the week before... So I'm updating today then once again in two days, then I'll be gone the next week. Also sorry that it's kinda crappy chapter, and that I had to cut it short.**_

 _ **I'm a terrible author ;A;**_

 _ **But either way please review!**_

 _ **-(ALSO I STILL HAVE A POLL ACTIVE ON MY PROFILE SO PLEASE VOTE IF YOU HAVEN'T)-**_


	27. Take a Breath

(Chapter 27)

Kyoya sighed, his head in his hands and his elbows on the table as he just got off a video chat call from his father, explaining that yes vacations are _nice_ but not to get too wrapped up in it that he forgets to do his studying to get a jump on the next semester of school.

Which he hadn't forgotten about it at all, in fact he already did the next three days' worth.

He looked down to the notebook he had next to the computer, frowning at the caged bird he drew while he was speaking with his father. He reached to crumple the paper but as he grabbed it he decided not to, instead unclenching it from his fist and smoothing it back out. He closed his computer and turned to add a little more detail to the feathers.

* * *

Kagome fell. Again. Face planting in the snow, her legs flying over her at the force of her fall. Hikaru and Kaoru were trying their best not to snigger, but really they couldn't help it!

Tamaki slid down next to her, helping her up once again. She huffed in frustration, snow covering her bangs and her nose a bit red.

"We can be done for now if you want," Tamaki asked gently, she blew her bangs out of her eyes and gave him a small pout before nodding slowly.

"Yeaaahhh…" She dragged out, he nodded and helped her stand.

"Don't feel bad, Kagome. It's not easy to get especially right away. Come on, let's get you warmed up and get Kyoya dressed so we can head down the mountain." He held his hand out for her to help her up and to get the ski's off their feet.

* * *

She sipped her hot chocolate as she swung her feet in the room Kyoya was now in, Tamaki and he had gone into the bedroom leaving her out in the living area. She glanced around, the room having a different layout than the one they stayed in last night, but otherwise was just the same.

"Is everything alright?" Tamaki asked his friend who was trying to pick out what sweater to wear.

"In theory, sure. In reality, not really. My father has set impossible standards again but like every challenge he places in front of me I will complete it and better it than he expects." Tamaki looked a little lost at his friend.

"He's really laying it on you these next couple years, huh?"

Kyoya sighed, picking up the deep purple sweater and pulling it over his head, fixing his glasses and smoothing out his hair.

"Sadly," he truly did seem a bit dejected but schooled his features and fixed the collar before putting his long winter frock on and patting his pocket to make sure his gloves were in it. "Now, shall we go ice skating?" he turned to Tamaki with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. Tamaki's eyes widened as he grinned, lunging at Kyoya and hugging him tightly.

"Mommy!"

* * *

The drive down the mountain was long, but it was also slow with the snow and ice on the road. Tamaki and Kagome didn't mind all that much, Kagome showing Tamaki and Kyoya a commoners called "janken."

"Oh so you connect your fist to your other hand three times then protrude what item you want?" Tamaki asked, tilting his head. Kagome nodded as she turned to Kyoya.

"Are you interested in playing?" Kyoya looked a bit displeased but nodded nonetheless, smiling once Kagome turned herself around in the middle of the seat and was facing him now. She demonstrated the fist and the hand, then produced a flat hand on the "three."

"And what is that?"

"A flat hand is 'paper', a fist is 'rock', and two fingers are the 'scissor'."

Tamaki and Kyoya copied her movements slowly.

"And so… Paper beats rock," she had a flat hand for paper slowly cover her other fist for rock. "Scissor cuts paper," she made the cutting movement with her two fingers towards her 'paper' hand. "And finally, rock crushes scissor." She slowly put her fist down on her 'scissor' hand.

Tamaki and Kyoya glanced at each other from over Kagome's head as she was explaining all this, a bit of confusion on Tamaki's part but Kyoya's seen the game before when he was visiting America a couple years ago and some of the CEO's younger children were playing it amongst themselves, he grasped the concept of it rather quickly.

Tamaki asked her to show him again and Kyoya watched them interact with a gentle look to his features, he smiled at his friends seeing them both get excited about the hand game. Kyoya couldn't help but smile bigger when Kagome kept beating Tamaki at it.

* * *

Tamaki wiped what little bit of sweat he had worked up off his brow as he glided to the side of the rink, he turned around to look at his two friends who were laughing holding each other up. Kagome lost her balance for a moment but Kyoya held onto her nice and tight, gripping her arms and holding her to his chest securely.

He caught the grateful and rather surprised look in her eye, and he saw the soft smile that Kyoya saved only for her and his sister.

Tamaki grinned triumphantly, taking pictures of them skating together on his phone. Tamaki slowly lowered his phone when he realized that they hadn't said a word to each other since they got their bearings on the skates.

She smiled largely at him, and he smiled softly down at her- Tamaki was enraptured by the exchange between the two of them, he saw that they tentatively held hands, Kagome guiding Kyoya along as she was more confident on skates than he was.

Tamaki caught their gentle touches; their unsure hand grabs; her shy smiles when she blushed; his gentle smiles and soft eyes and he looked down at her with a gentleness that startled Tamaki himself.

His best friend was many things, he was cold, calculating, he was eccentric at heart, he was also very kind. But actually seeing that Kyoya was truly capable of caring about someone else in this way besides himself was… rather shocking.

Tamaki took another picture of them, before going back to join them.

Maybe he could teach them how to spin?

* * *

Kagome laughed at something Tamaki and Kyoya were arguing about, although both of them lost all seriousness in the conversation and were doing it for show.

"-You can't just buy lavish gifts and products with our funds, Tamaki-"

"-It's my club! Why shouldn't I be able to better our productivity and customer satisfaction as _I_ see fit?"

"Because most of the time the only productivity you improve is your own and those blasted Twins." Kyoya crossed his arms and Kagome snorted out a laugh, covering her mouth and blushing three shades of red brighter before laughing again. Tamaki and Kyoya joined up in her laughter, their driver looked in the review mirror and smiled back at them, turning his eyes to the road just in time to see a rather large, black animal lumber across.

"Woah!" The driver yelled, slamming on his breaks and yanking his wheel to avoid hitting the animal. The ears perked up and it jumped out of the way before the car could hit it, the tires screeching and sliding against the ice.

Tamaki and Kyoya grabbed Kagome, everyone in the vehicle screamed as the car spun around in circles against the ice, finally going over the side of the road.

A large tree knocked against the roof of the car, and caused the vehicle to tilt forward and go down the mountain nose first, the car continuing to tumble. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, her jaw clenched so tightly that she was sure a couple of her teeth were loose as she found Kyoya and Tamaki's hand, squeezing them so tightly she was sure her and their fingers were blue.

Kyoya opened one eye just in time to see the frozen river just below them.

He sucked in a desperate breath and shut his eyes tighter.

Oh Kami's they were going to _die_.

* * *

The water was freezing, the last thing Tamaki remembers seeing before the car broke through the ice was a strange pink tint to his world, but nothing in the car was pink.

Kagome was hyperventilating, the car was filling up fast and they were upside down in the river. She let a sob escape her, noticing that the driver's window had been smashed out and their driver either dead or unconscious.

Their seat belt buckles came undone and they fell to the roof of the car, Kagome instantly shivering with the icy waters.

"Take a breath!" Kagome gasped in the air pocket, her hand found Kyoya's, gripping it tightly. She could feel his stuttering heart beat as he looked at her with such wide eyes. Tamaki's hands found theirs and they all looked at each other.

The car finished submerging. Kagome shivered violently and motioned for Tamaki to try the doors. He did so but they wouldn't budge an inch. Her eyes widened when Kyoya's wouldn't budge either.

They were going to die-

Oh god they were going to die. The day was going so _well_ \- She woke up nice and warm from what was possibly the best night's rest she had in who knows how many years, she learned to ski with her friends, she went ice skating again for the first time since her father died and it felt so freeing-

Kagome's eyes clenched shut.

Poor Kyoya, his hand was clenched around hers so tightly and so was Tamaki's. They were scared- _terrified_ that they were going to die.

And her eyes snapped open, she looked at them and they were looking at each other.

Fucking hell they were playing janken.

But… They looked so broken, and Kagome realized that she had already accepted a long time ago that she could die at any moment- and that would be fine. But they didn't have to risk their lives day by day, hour by hour to fix a mistake they made. _They_ didn't have to fight for their lives on a daily basis, they never had to worry about when their next meal would be or when they would have another shower-

 _No._ Kagome thought determinedly, _I can't let anymore of my friends die!_

Her hands clenched around theirs tighter, and she felt the large pressure in her body finally be released.

Kagome breathed out the last of her air, the bubbles pouring out of her mouth but at the same moment a large blast of her magic energy shook the sinking car.

Kyoya and Tamaki's eyes widened as they let their now-glowing-friend's hands go. Large waves of pink came from her body, sending warmth flooding through their veins and a sense of peace, the stuck doors of the car being blasted open by the sheer force of her raw magical energy.

Kyoya grabbed Kagome, and Tamaki managed to get the driver unbuckled and dragged him out of the car too. The two of them swam up to the surface, breaking the surface and taking long gasps of air.

People on the banks of the river gasped, screaming and yelling at them to get to the shore. The car had crossed the road that was at the bottom of the mountain when they tumbled down the mountain, people lined up on the side calling the paramedics.

A couple men helped drag Kyoya and Tamaki up onto the banks, taking the still shivering Kagome and unconscious driver.

Kyoya stared wide eyed at her, and Kagome gripped his finger with as much strength as she had in her hand- which wasn't a lot. She smiled weakly, breathing obviously becoming difficult for her.

"I'll tell you everything…" She said softly, it was a whisper really. But to Kyoya and Tamaki it sounded like the only clear voice in a sea of white noise.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And that is my last update for about a week so~ Review please!**_


	28. The Hospital

(Chapter 28)

Tamaki looked over to Kyoya as a paramedic was taking his blood pressure; Kyoya had kept frowning at the ground, and Tamaki could tell that what just happened wasn't _supposed_ to have happened.

"We could've died today, Kyoya." Tamaki said softly, Kyoya looked over to his friend but didn't lift his head. He sighed, rubbing his burning eyes and lifting his glasses to do so.

"I know, we owe Kagome our lives."

"Your glasses have a crack in them," Tamaki stated, blinking at him owlishly. Kyoya put his glasses back on, giving a rather dry and humorless chuckle as the crack obscured the spot on the ground were the road met the mountain side.

"So there is."

* * *

The hospital was bustling with activity by the time Shippo and Sesshoumaru arrived there despite it being well past dark.

Nurses and other staff backed against the walls as the two powerful men (or as powerful as a hobbling old man could be) didn't even bother to ask what room Kagome was being held in; her scent was strong against the sterile hospital hallways and underlying death. Shippo was stalking the halls, walking with a soft frantic beat in his steps as his white hair bounced with his movements.

Sesshoumaru didn't let his fear or anger show as he walked behind Shippo, but the way he held himself and the frown on his face let the other patrons of the hospital know to stay well out of their way.

By the time the two found Kagome's room it was filled with quiet mumbling among the rest of the Host Club members, the noise died down completely with the entry of Shippo and Sesshoumaru. The twins were sat by the window with Hunny and Mori, they were talking worriedly about the events that had happened. Tamaki and Kyoya sat on the side of her bed that was closest to the door, both of them looking tired and worse for wear.

"What the hell hap-" Shippo was about to bite out but Sesshoumaru talked over him.

"Thank you for calling us as soon as you were able." Sesshoumaru glanced at everyone in the room then looked back down at Tamaki and Kyoya, both of them looked at each other before nodding.

"Saburo is out in the waiting room, Satoshi is there too, why don't you four go talk to them and update them on how she is." Sesshoumaru said, glancing over to the four by the window, giving them a command rather than asking them to do so. Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged uneasy glances with Hunny but Mori stood up, picking Hunny up and carrying him out the door with the twins following closely behind. The door closed and Sesshoumaru and Shippo were left alone with Tamaki and Kyoya.

Shippo (the old man he was disguised as) hobbled over to the other side of Kagome's bed and sat down, Sesshoumaru sighing as he ruffled his black hair and sat down next to the old man. The four men stared at each other in a tense silence for a couple minutes with Kagome breathing peacefully underneath.

"What exactly happened." Sesshoumaru's demand was obvious but he said it so calmly and evenly that Shippo gave him a sideways glare.

Kyoya didn't meet their eyes, instead looking down at Kagome who was still very weak, and getting weaker by the minute it seemed. He moved to touch the hand nearest to him, and it was cold.

Shippo glared at Kyoya, still not liking the Ootori boy or his family.

"We skied all day, Kagome didn't know how to ski so I taught her." Tamaki started from the beginning of the day, casting a longing glance outside and seeing that it was well after dark with the moon's rays shining on the trees outside.

"I had to have a meeting with my father so he could remind me to not fall behind on my homework for the break, then proceeded to remind me of what a failure I am." Kyoya said bitterly, and Tamaki knocked his knees against Kyoya's.

"Kagome needs us, this isn't the time to be loathing. They say the sick can absorb the energy around them and the more negative energy there is the worse they'll get." Tamaki closed his eyes and held a finger in the air as he was _so sure_ about this.

Kyoya gave him an astonished and annoyed stare, punching his arm.

"Don't be such an idiot, that's not how healing, medicine, or the human body works!"

Tamaki looked affronted, rubbing his arm.

"But it happens to plants! While you're watering them and you put off negative energy, or say hurtful things the plant will die a long time before a plant right next to it who is given loving words and encouragement with the exact same surroundings- same light, same soil, same position… the only thing that's different is what you say to it. That plant will live longer, grow taller, and be stronger than the one who was put down and given negative energy."

Kyoya rubbed his temples, his glasses being abandoned on the bed next to Kagome's hand.

Tamaki still rubbed his arm that was hit before looking back over to the two older men, casting a sideways glance at Kyoya who had his head in his hands, looking rather defeated.

"I had planned on us three going ice skating, so I could see for myself how Kyoya's and Kagome's relationship was developing." Tamaki's eyes sparkled and Kyoya's cheeks grew red from under his hands.

"It was like magic, watching the two interact, being able to communicate without actually talking to each other." His excitement deflated quickly after seeing the raised eyebrow of Sesshoumaru and Satoshi Senior's (Shippo's) annoyed posture. Tamaki coughed into the hand that was rubbing his arm.

"On our way back up the mountain, towards the top really, a large black animals lumbered into the road. The driver was distracted by us fake fighting for Kagome's amusement, saw the animal the last second and tried to avoid hitting it..." Tamaki trailed off, by this time Kyoya had sat up properly again but didn't put his glasses back on.

"The road was icy, and the car slid out of control, we spun then went over the side of the mountain. The car knocked against some trees on both sides, crushing our doors in so we couldn't budge them. The driver's side window got knocked out, then we started tumbling down the mountain. We cleared the road at the bottom of the mountain thankfully, but we ended up roof down in the river instead." Kyoya said, staring at the bed.

Tamaki glanced at Kyoya, wondering how much else they should tell them.

"How did you all get out?" Satoshi grumbled out through his white mustache.

Kyoya sighed, rubbing his head again at his building frustration.

"Kagome got us out. We don't know how." Tamaki said quickly, looking wide eyed at Kyoya whose shoulders slumped.

"One moment we were out of our seats since the car was upside down, filling with water quickly. The next we were holding hands praying somehow we would get out of there- then all of sudden she just started _glowing_. The water was getting warm and suddenly we weren't cold anymore." Tamaki looked to Kyoya again and he nodded finally.

"There was a shockwave of power, and Kagome blew the doors off the car. She then went limp. I grabbed her and we swam out of the car, Tamaki went back and grabbed the cab driver who had been knocked unconscious. He's down the hall and he came to a couple hours ago, but he'll have to stay here for a few days for monitoring." Kyoya finished.

Shippo stared at Sesshoumaru, though the older demon had his hands folded in front of his mouth and his eyes closed as he thought.

"Kagome is growing weaker by the moment, and soon she will slip into a coma." Kyoya said, sounding defeated.

"Do you think Hachiro knows anything?" Shippo said quietly, but Sesshoumaru didn't answer him.

"As her guardians we will talk with the doctor in the morning. Seeing as it's getting late we should all be heading out to get some sleep, we're no help to Kagome right now." Sesshoumaru stood, and Shippo looked shocked then furious.

"We can't just leave her here-"

"We must." Sesshoumaru and Shippo glared at each other. Kyoya put his glasses on and stood up, Tamaki doing the same.

"You're right, she needs her rest if she will be getting better." Tamaki moved towards the door and Kyoya did too until he felt a small tug on his finger. He looked surprised down at the bed and saw that Kagome's fingers were weakly wrapped around his own.

She turned her head slowly, opening her eyes as best as she could and found Kyoya's behind his glasses.

"I'll… stay a little bit longer." Kyoya relented, sitting back down by the side of her bed and holding her hand delicately between his own. Shippo frowned deeply at him, but begrudgingly followed Sesshoumaru out of the hospital room.

Tamaki faltered in following, his feet carried him to the other side of Kagome's bed; he bent down and pushed her bangs back from her forehead and placed a feather light kiss to it.

"Goodnight, Princess." Tamaki said softly, ducking his head and leaving quickly at the glare Kyoya sent him.

The room was quiet once more, the heart monitor being really the only sound.

Kyoya's heartbeat stuttered in his chest as an overwhelming feeling of failure and shame washed over him. He buried his head in his hands, Kagome still looking at him with her tired eyes that held a bit of sadness in them. Her hand weakly came up and touched his cheek in a feather light touch that instantly sent warmth flooding through his body.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." He said hoarsely, and she gave him the smallest of sincerest smiles he's ever had the pleasure of seeing.

It was so beautiful.

"It's ok Kyoya," her voice was scratchy, and it sounded so weak. "I'm just glad you both are alright." She sighed, closing her eyes as her hand started shaking from the strain of lifting it. He held her hand as it grew limp.

And then she fell asleep.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Yay new chapter! And also I'm back. Review please!**_


	29. Will She Wake Up?

(Chapter 29)

The winter break dragged on terribly after the incident, the Host Club had stayed at the ski resort for their allotted time and even though the Twins and Hunny had tried to lighten the mood and get Tamaki and Kyoya to not think about their almost-death and the could-be death of one of their own members, it didn't work.

So, eventually everyone left on the train except for Kyoya and Tamaki, who were given special permission from the hospital to stay with Kagome for two extra days. Her guardians weren't thrilled, Satoshi especially, but Sesshoumaru had allowed it with a gentle nod and wave of his hand.

Now Kyoya sat staring at Kagome's bed, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest as he replayed the memory over and over again. Tamaki stared at the chess board in between them, not daring to voice that he had moved his piece over two minutes ago and that it was now Kyoya's turn.

Saburo and Satoshi Junior were in the room with them, finally getting their time with Kagome as they sat around the bed whispering quietly to one another from over her.

Kyoya gave a low groan, his new glasses long discarded onto the table next to the game so he could rub his eyes freely and muss up his hair as he saw fit. Tamaki looked worriedly over to his friend, knowing that Kagome's selfless choice to save them both was tearing Kyoya up inside.

Tamaki looked down at the chess board in thought.

He knocked the white queen over, which would leave the king defenseless against the black pieces. Unless the King surrounded himself entirely with the remaining white pieces, then he would be protected.

Tamaki glanced up at Kyoya again, then frowned.

* * *

"Where's Kagome?" one of Kagome's regular customer's asked curiously the first club day back from the winter break. Tamaki sighed sadly, and it wasn't an act either as he said rather remorsefully.

"There was an awful accident over the winter break and she's been in a coma for quite a few weeks now, I was able to talk to father though and once she wakes up she'll be able to have a private tutor from Ouran so she can study all she's missed from her time away."

"That's so sad!" A girl cried, drying her eyes in a handkerchief.

"I agree," Tamaki nodded along solemnly. He looked back at Kyoya who was standing off to the side of the room, writing in his ledger of course. "Kagome was transferred from the hospital in the town we were staying in over winter break and now she's in one of Kyoya's facilities until she wakes up."

"Do you think she will ever wake up?" another girl piped up from Hikaru and Kaoru's table just a few rows over, and Tamaki suddenly realized part of the room was listening to his conversation.

He caught the rather stoic look Kyoya had, the lights bouncing off his glasses as he looked over to Tamaki and his guests, a small frown on his face.

Tamaki swallowed thickly as he chose his next couple words carefully, even after Kyoya turned on his heel and strode towards where the kitchens and his unofficial office was.

"She has to, she saved Kyoya's and I's life, we have to tell her _Thank You_ properly."

Resounding "awes" and gasps from the room could be heard but Tamaki only watched Kyoya's back as it disappeared through the doorway, his shoulders shaking.

* * *

The alarm blared loudly at 05:50 in the morning. The man groaned as he rolled over and blindly reached for the alarm to shut the infernal thing up. The woman next to him shifted and sighed, sitting up in bed and stretching her arms out wide.

"It's time to wake up, my love-"

"Don't tell me such lies." The man growled out, sitting up as well and rolling his neck. His long, slender fingers accented with deadly sharp, elegant claws that traced his jaw bone as he stretched.

"Sesshoumaru-" she started but he got up, bare shoulders and waist that was covered by long, white hair.

"Not right now, Kagura." He said slowly, giving her a slight glare from over his shoulder. Or what she assumed was a glare.

It was now early February and Kagome had been a coma for over a month with no sign of waking up anytime soon, and with each passing day Sesshoumaru grew more irritated. Kagura folded her knees to her chest, bringing the comforter with them, and wrapped her bare arms around them, laying her head on her new cushion as she watched her mate and husband get ready for the day.

Ever since Kagome's incident Sesshoumaru seemed… Distant, and cold. More so than usual anyways.

Kagura lifted her head when the door to the bathroom shut all the way, she frowned. Deciding that she would no longer be able to get back to sleep she got up, putting on two layers then her kimono and doing her hair up so it would stay out of her way.

Sesshoumaru came out, his suit clean and freshly pressed, his white hair gone to black and short, and his markings were clean off his face.

They stared at each other through the vanity mirror, but he turned away first, opening the door, light from the hallway flooding in, and closing it rather forcefully- more than was needed.

The room was filled with silence, and Kagura sighed against the bobby pins held in her lips as she worked with her hair, candlelight bathing her slender neck enticingly.

* * *

Saburo watched his father figure later that morning, eating his breakfast slowly so he could observe the demon who was in a bad mood ever since the phone call about Kagome being in the hospital.

Sesshoumaru glanced up and caught Saburo's eye, his shoulders tensed as he looked back down at his breakfast plate.

It was awkward, it only being Sesshoumaru and him this morning for breakfast, it happened before but not after something like… this.

"Hey, dad?"

The look Sesshoumaru gave him made Saburo realize his mistake as he tensed even more.

"Sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Continue." Sesshoumaru said, turning back to the paper that had a particularly interesting article.

"Do you think Kagome will wake up?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer him right away, and by the time Saburo had left for school he still never got an answer.

* * *

"Happy Valentines Day, Kyoya-kun." A girl who was a grade above him said, her cheeks flushed red as she handed him a small box accented with a red bow. He took it carefully, observing the swirling paper the gift was wrapped in, then looked down to the girl who had her cheeks in her hands and a dreamy look on her face.

"I know you'll be getting a lot of these throughout the day, but I still hope you enjoy it!"

He forced a smile, he didn't even try to hide it and she could tell right away.

"Thank you, Akame-senpai." He turned then, stuffing the small gift in his bag to give to the twins later.

The girl stared, standing rather dumbly in the hallway as she watched him. She gave a sad sigh and frowned, holding her elbows as she hoped that whatever hole had been built in his heart that it would settle soon.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Alright, new chapter! Sorry about the lack-luster of it all. But what do you all think? Will Kagome ever wake up? Review please!**_


	30. Valentines Blues

(Chapter 30)

February 14, _Valentine's Day_. Kyoya shuddered at the end of club that day as he looked at the rather large pile all the hosts had collected throughout the day that was in the center of the room. Hunny was locked away when he had already eaten through 15 chocolate hearts in the span of 3 minutes. You could hear the large double doors banging wildly and an animalistic scream as the little Titan demanded to be let out.

Hikaru and Kaoru were visibly cowering as that was their first time witnessing any type of Hunny's power. Tamaki wasn't hiding with them like he usually would, he knew in his mind that Hunny would burn through his sugar high and fall asleep, then Mori and him would go home with far less chocolate treats than what was already consumed.

Kyoya had finished writing down the last girl's name who had given him treats, and after looking at his own extensive list then back again at the major pile in the middle of the room he sighed. There was no way the Hosts were going to be able to repay all those women back on white day.

"We'll have to hold a banquet for our guests, attendance free so we can repay back all the girls who gave us all sweets." Kyoya spoke up to the room, Hikaru and Kaoru groaned audibly from where they were hiding, popping up from behind a pillar from the other side of the room and trudging over to the middle.

"That sounds so booooring." Hikaru groaned, leaning against Kaoru.

"And like a lot of wooooooork." Kaoru said back, leaning heavily against Hikaru who was leaning against him.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow at the Twins.

"Unless you want to go through all the individual names that were given to you and provide the gifts yourselves back on white day in March-" Kyoya turned, opening his ledger and moving to cross out the date in his calendar.

The color drained from the twins faces as they moved to stop him.

"Wait-"

"No!"

"A banquet sounds-"

"Like a wonderful idea!" They finished together, sweat dropping.

Kyoya looked up at Tamaki to get his approval, but Tamaki looked rather sullenly down at the little red heart shaped box in his hand. He didn't know who gave it to him, but he didn't want to look either. Rather he would imagine it came from Kagome herself, because he knew she would hand make all the chocolate she gave out and she would give at least once each to all the Hosts (but maybe she would give a little bit more to Kyoya because definitely by this time they would've been dating).

"It sounds like a wonderful idea." Tamaki said finally, looking up and giving his friends a forced smile.

Kyoya nodded slowly, marking it down in his calendar, snapping his ledger shut and moving to put it in his computer bag. His books staying in his locker as he had them all downloaded onto his laptop.

Tamaki caught him before he left the room.

"Are you visiting the Hospital today?"

Kyoya turned to him fully, "like I do every day, why do you ask?"

"Can I come with you?"

Kyoya stared at him for a long moment, long enough to make Tamaki shift uncomfortably under his friends gaze.

"Fine, you got everything?" Tamaki tapped his head and winked. Kyoya frowned at him.

"I don't buy that for a minute."

"I had my driver take it for me at the end of school," Tamaki laughed, clapping his friend on the back as they walked down the hall together.

* * *

Kagome laid motionless on the bed, like she had been for the last month. Her hair was cut short to better manage her body temperature and so it would be easier on the nurses to work with her.

Tamaki stared at her, his heart thudding in his chest as he slowly touched her now shoulder length hair.

"When was this done?"

"A few weeks ago, I didn't even know they had done it but- ahh, her guardian Satoshi had come in and told me that they had given permission to the hospital to cut her hair to her shoulders."

Kyoya had sat down at his usual spot next to her bed, laying his computer bag on a table that had been set up for his frequent visits. He turned to her and stared at her resting features. Tamaki shifted from one foot to the other, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment.

"Did you know that my family asked hers to arrange a marriage for us?" Kyoya spoke up suddenly. Tamaki blinked, amazed at this new information.

"N-No I didn't, how did it go?"

"As well as you can imagine." Kyoya grumbled. "We, uhh… We were trying to work past the awkwardness of it. She didn't believe me at first when I said that I didn't have any part of it, and I think she still didn't fully believe me."

"Kyoya, she saved you. I don't think someone who didn't trust you is going to save your life-"

"You're wrong." A voice spoke up from the door way where a tall man who had bright ginger hair stood. He had flowers in his hand and glared at Kyoya- who had given him a sideways glance in return.

"Hello Shippo."

"Ootori offspring." Shippo commented back dryly, putting the flowers with the others in the vase on the other side of her bed. He took the dead ones out and sat them aside.

"Why just not throw the dead ones away?" Tamaki asked once Shippo didn't do anything more with them.

"Kagome loves dead flowers." Kyoya replied automatically, Shippo only glared at him more.

"Kagome would've killed herself over a stranger stuck under a boulder." Shippo bit out.

Tamaki patted his sides at the tense silence that settled over the room.

Soon a giant of a man ducked through the doorway, which was surprisingly Mori with Hunny hot on his heels.

"Mori-senpai? Honey-senpai?" Tamaki asked curiously, Mori gave him a curt nod in greeting before moving over to Kagome's bed, pushing her bangs back and giving her a chaste kiss on her forehead. Mori stepped out of the way and Hunny came up, holding her hand and giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"If love could save her, she would live forever." Hunny said and nodded once, the both of them heading to the door and waving their goodbyes.

Tamaki looked curiously down at Kyoya.

"They come in twice to three times a week to visit her, all their meetings here being that brief." Kyoya replied, starting on his homework.

"And… You just come here every day after school and stay until your father and brother head back home?"

"That's right, it's because I suggested that Kagome be placed in the same hospital that they both practice in that I know she'll get the best of our services."

Tamaki nodded in understanding, once again casting a glance over to Shippo who was on the other side of the bed, legs crossed and arms crossed tightly over his chest.

The glare in Shippo's eyes made sure Tamaki didn't ask any questions about who exactly he was to Kagome- and why he and Kyoya seemingly didn't like each other.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Chapter 30!? Wow didn't think it'd actually come this far. Review please!**_


	31. The Visitor(s)

(Chapter 31)

Piano music played in the background, but she was sweeping the dance floor with a mysterious man. The room was dark, black- she could only see to her wrist on his shoulder before it disappeared- even his face was shrouded and she couldn't make out his features.

She tried to draw closer to him but he always spun her out, so eventually she had to be content on not knowing who her mysterious partner was.

She could faintly hear voices in the background but she couldn't make out anything they were saying, deciding to just enjoy the dance that was going on.

She sighed, and in the turn the mysterious man had let go of her hand. She stumbled back a few steps, righting herself and looking to the man shrouded in darkness just feet from her. She righted herself and stood upright, staring at him. She couldn't make out much of appearance except for the fact that his fists were clenched at his sides.

 ** _"I LOVED YOU!"_** suddenly InuYasha's face appeared, and the man stepped forward. He was wearing a red suit, and he looked lost. **_"I wanted to come back for you- I tried to find you. I tried to wait for you. I just couldn't do it."_** He turned away, his fists clenching again. Kagome was breathless as she stepped towards him, but even though his hand was reaching out for her he seemed to be getting farther away.

"InuYasha, I-"

 ** _"The well never opened again, and I waited 200 years before it was unbearable being without you. Kagome I'm so sorry."_**

"InuYasha," she sighed. Stepping up to him. "It's ok," she smiled and took his hand once again, and started leading him in a dance. "I'm happy here, and from what I heard you were happy too. I've met your son, his name is Saburo."

She looked up at him, and he seemed surprised.

"He's wonderful, InuYasha. I know you would be proud."

InuYasha smiled down at her, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead and she closed her eyes and sighed. When he pulled away she was surprised to see Sesshoumaru in his place.

"S-sesshoumu!" she gasped, he stepped back and bowed to her. She stared at him wide eyed as he righted himself up again and took her hands in his.

 ** _"Miko,"_** he addressed her softly and led her into a gentle spin as he took her around the dancefloor. His suit wasn't InuYasha's red but rather a tasteful dark purple, and his tie had the flower pattern that used to be on his kimono.

"You've changed a lot in the time that I've been gone." She told him softly, and he only stared down at her. But the harsh look that usually adorned his face wasn't there, he looked rather content, and a small smile slipped onto his face when her hand tightened against his shoulder.

 ** _"I've learned in the time that you've been gone, quite a bit actually. Even some I'm sure you would be proud of."_**

"Like what?" She blinked up at him but he didn't answer, instead pulling her out into a spin then bringing her back against his chest. They stopped moving for those few moments. She felt his chin rest atop her head, and her eyes widened a bit more.

 ** _"I've learned that life isn't as give and take as I had once thought, that humanity belongs even to those of us with extended lives. I've learned a lot about the humans, and how they have to experience life to the fullest as fast as they can- because it's so naturally short."_**

Silence engulfed them both for a long time. She could hear his breath but otherwise the piano had even stopped in the background some time ago, and the silence wasn't tense- it was rather comforting.

 ** _"I've learned the harshness of losing someone you love, and that losing the hope that you will ever see them again is only how you can move on."_**

Kagome gasped and spun around in his arms, looking up at his face. His markings were showing, and his eyes were golden. His fangs pointed, as well as his ears, even his hair was long, white, and pulled up into a high pony tail.

"I'm so sorry- about Rin and InuYasha."

He stared down at her in contemplative silence for a long time, but she didn't turn away from him even as his head drew closer to hers, like he was going to whisper something in her ear.

 ** _"They weren't the only two people I lost that I loved, Kagome."_** He whispered, his face so close to hers that she couldn't help the blush that coated her cheeks, she shivered and shut her eyes tight.

Lips pressed against hers so softly that she almost missed it.

They drew away and took her breath with them. She snapped her eyes open and there standing in front of her now was Saburo. He was holding her shoulders and smiling so delicately down at her, her heart started to ache.

"I wish you could've been able to properly meet your father," Kagome whispered to him, his smile grew tense but he just pulled her into his arms and held her.

Her head was buried into his sky blue suit that matched his eyes and she couldn't remember if his eyes were actually blue.

"I'm so sorry that Sesshoumaru doesn't see you as a son-"

 ** _"I've always known,"_** Saburo said quietly, his chin resting atop her head as he stared out against the dark room. The piano sound started up again, Saburo sighed as his arms tightened around her. **_"I heard Sesshoumaru talk to his kids one day when I was really little. He told them that love wasn't a weak human emotion, that creatures like us could experience it too, and that it was the strongest emotion there is besides hope and fear._**

 ** _He told them that Rin wasn't the only human he loved. He explained to them that he loved her like his own daughter. Then he explained that the Shikon Miko had taught him that not all Humans were terrible, and that they deserve the same amount of respect that we give to each other._**

 ** _He explained to them that she was the one who taught him that love wasn't bad… And then she just left, and he had to give up hope that she would ever come back."_**

Kagome was silent with wide eyes as Saburo talked. She slowly lifted her head up from him and stared at him when he was done talking.

She opened her mouth to speak but he only smiled down at her again. The piercings in his ears glinted off the unknown light- and he had markings of his own, which Kagome hadn't actually seen him without his human-ish disguise on. His markings were pale purple, and there was just one on each cheek.

 ** _"I've always known that Sesshoumaru would never love me like he loved Rin, but a part of me has always hoped that he would. Even though I know he won't, and he said that giving up hope is the only way to move on, I won't."_** He ghosted his lips against her cheek, and her eyes widened.

 ** _"You're the friend I've always wanted, the friend I've always needed."_** He stepped away from her, she reached out for him and his hand touched her lightly. But he only gave her a pain filled smile as tears filled his eyes. He gave a chuckle.

 ** _"I've been so lost without you, Kagome. Please wake up."_**

"What-" but his hand was gone from hers and suddenly she was alone, the spotlight only on her with no way for her to see out into the dark room. She spun around quickly, the dark blue floor length dress she wore brushed against her heels but she looked anyways.

Suddenly from behind someone grabbed her wrist and spun her around, Kagome gasped and then she was face-to-face with Tamaki. Kagome slowly drew her hand away from him, wondering what kind of emotional trip he was going to take her on.

But he just smiled, the white suit he was wearing drawing out his equally white smile as he slowly led her into a waltz. She stared at him suspiciously.

"Tamaki?" She questioned, but he only shook his head, giving her a wink. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked around the room, but of course she couldn't see anything.

 ** _"It's been torture without your smiling face to grace us every morning."_** Tamaki said finally, giving her a wink and spinning her out, letting go of her hand as she continued to spin.

Suddenly she was taken by another hand and it was Kaoru, dressed smartly in a pale blue suit, leading her around the room. Hikaru took her other hand, he was dressed in a pale purple suit and the three danced in a circle.

"Hikaru? Kaoru? What's going on?" Kagome was starting to get nervous, where was everyone coming from?

 ** _"Princess,"_ ** they whispered to her at the same time, bowing down to kiss her hands. They shared similar cat-like grins as they stared up at her, and her heart was racing.

On the twins that was never a good look.

 ** _"We've been so lonely without you,"_** Hikaru stood up and slowly circled around her, Kaoru doing the same but in the opposite direction.

 ** _"Won't you stay? We've missed playing with you."_** Kaoru said, they both stopped right in front of her, bending at the waist to get closer to her face. Similar grins on both of their faces.

 ** _"Our very own Bird in a cage."_**

"I- I…" she stammered out, taking a step back away from them. They only looked to each other and grinned, fading back into the shadows.

Something tugged on the bottom of her dress and Kagome looked behind her quickly, seeing Hunny standing there in a smart orange suit. His eyes were big and watering, looking like he was about to cry.

"Hunny-!"

 ** _"Why did you leave us, Kago-chan?"_** he asked, she sighed. Taking his hands from her dress she slowly led him into a slow dance where they just moved from side to side.

"I didn't mean to leave you all, Hunny-"

 ** _"We've been really worried."_** Hunny mumbled, still looking like he wanted to cry but otherwise he was just pouting. Kagome smiled down at him and slowly bent down, gathering him in her arms and held him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll come back to you soon." Kagome whispered in his golden hair. He looked at her with wide eyes as he slowly pulled away. Hunny stepped away from her, nodding his head slowly.

 ** _"Promise?"_** He whispered as he was as well slowly disappearing into the black. Kagome watched him leave her as well, nodding slowly.

"I promise."

But by the time she answered he was gone.

Kagome looked around the dark room again, squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath.

"Mori? Where are you?" She called out, and slowly the giant of a man came out from the shadows. He was dressed sharply in a navy blue suit, and he produced a simple rose for her as he bowed. She smiled and took the rose, smelling it and sighing.

He led her in another dance, and they were silent.

It was rather refreshing.

He stepped away and bowed after a few moments, slowly he reached his hand out and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

 ** _"Please join us."_** Was all he said before he was gone as well.

It was a long time before anyone else joined her, so long that Kagome laid on the floor and stared out into the darkness, her hands tracing the smooth ground.

A figure stood over her, blocking the light from her face. Kagome squinted to see who it was, but a hand was held out to her before she could see who it was.

Kagome took it gently, and the figure had lifted her up easily.

"Kyoya…" Kagome whispered, pleased to see his familiar face. He looked shocked to see her, and quickly gathered her in his arms. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in it. "I miss you."

 ** _"I miss you too."_** He whispered in her hair, and his shoulders were shaking. **_"I'm so sorry this happened. I'm so sorry you almost died."_**

"Kyoya, Kyoya- Sweetie." She said quickly, pulling herself away from him. He looked so guilty, and her heart ached for him. How long has she been gone? Where was she?

But the thought of him or Tamaki in her place made her heart hurt worse. She clenched her eyes shut and grabbed his wrists so he would look at her, listen to her when she really needed him to.

"I'll do it all over again if I have to, to make sure that you and Tamaki will live and be happy." She looked at him desperately and he seemed surprised. "You have your whole life ahead of you to make your life worth something. I've lived and almost died too many times that I lost count, I've done my duty to the world we live on." She looked down and slowly clasped her hand with his and held it up to her heart.

She sighed and smiled to feel his warm hand in hers and against her chest where her heart was beating.

She looked up at him with wide eyes and a soft smile.

"I will gladly die to save you and everyone I care dearly about."

 ** _"Kagome…"_** He whispered her name, his shoulders slumping as he gave a resigned sigh. His free hand carefully traced her cheeks as he held it delicately, like she would disappear from him- but she knew that he would be the one disappearing soon. His head slowly bent down towards hers and she stood on her toes to meet him half way.

 ** _"I don't know what I will do if I lose you."_** He whispered against her lips, and she sighed. Looking up at him. She squeezed his hands.

"You'll live, and be happy."

And slowly he too, like all the others, disappeared into the darkness.

Kagome looked down at her gloved hands, and a strange feeling settled over her heart. A slow tap on her shoulder had her turning around, and she gave a cry of relief as she saw Shippo.

She jumped at him, and hugged him tightly. He hugged her in return, holding her tightly against his chest as he nuzzled her hair. His shoulders shook.

 ** _"I thought I lost you again."_** He said quietly, holding her tightly against him. Kagome sighed, holding her son in her arms.

And suddenly he wasn't the 30-something year old that she had gotten to know over the last few months, but instead her little 6-year old from her travels. He was her little kit again, and she sat on the floor and hugged him.

 ** _"Momma!"_** He cried, holding onto her dress and nuzzling his small head into the crook of her neck. And she held him.

"Momma's here, Shippo." She said gently, and rocked the kit in her arms. His form was shaking, and his grip on her dress only tightened.

All too soon Shippo climbed out of her arms, and stood up to his full height of his adult form. He stared down at her, and offered a hand for her. She took it gratefully, and stood up on her tip toes to give him a sweet kiss to the cheeks.

 ** _"I have to go."_** He whispered, and Kagome gave him a soft smile.

"I know."

As soon as he was gone another figure spun her around and lead her into a tango. She couldn't make out who it was though.

 ** _"They all seem to adore you."_** The man said but she couldn't make out his voice. She stared at him suspiciously. His voice was familiar but she couldn't put a face to it.

"Of course, they're my friends and family." He spun her out and his grip on her hand tightened as she faced him.

 ** _"It seems that if you died they would get over it rather quickly."_** He commented off handedly, and Kagome glared, he spun her back to him and her back hit his chest soundly. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist- pinning her arms to her side.

He rested his chin on her shoulder and swayed her, but for some reason it wasn't comforting like all the others had been.

 ** _"Think about it: InuYasha's already dead; Sesshoumaru has already moved on; Saburo has Satoshi and Hachiro; Tamaki is surrounded by better people; Hikaru and Kaoru already have each other- why would they need you? Hunny has still a child's heart, and you know that they will move on as soon as he finds something better."_** His breath tickled her ear, and Kagome looked at the ground.

 ** _"Mori tolerates you for Hunny's sake; Kyoya is only using you to get into your family, you don't actually believes he loves you- right? You can't offer him anything of value except for your new name. Kagome…. Shippo? Really? He's a grown kit now, with a pup of his own and an empire to run- he won't have time to miss you…"_**

His voice trailed off and suddenly Kagome couldn't remember the interactions she just had with her loved ones. Was it all true? Who was this man?

His breath was so close to her ear that it tickled it, she slowly felt his tongue trace the shell of it, and fangs nipped at it gently.

Kagome jumped then, but his arms caged her in tighter, pressing hard against her chest where her heart was aching.

 ** _"You know the words I'm saying are true Kagome,"_** his voice was fading but his presence was strong. She stopped fighting, she wanted to scream but she couldn't- and suddenly she knew who it was pressing against her back. His sharp teeth traced her ear again and she shivered. **_"Don't believe me? Just wake up, and you'll see. The only one you'll need will be me."_**

Naraku.

* * *

Kagome's eyes snapped open, the bright white of the ceiling burned her eyes and she shut them again quickly. She took a deep, calming breath as her body shook with tremors. She couldn't recall the images she saw while she was asleep, but she vaguely remembered her friends and family coming to visit her in them, but the last one- the very last one sent ice through her veins.

Kagome took a deep breath and pushed herself up onto her arms, her entire body aching and she cried out in pain. Her head was pounding and she screwed her eyes shut tighter, but she was able to sit herself up and lean against the back of the bed.

She leaned her head back and sighed, the room was silent for a few moments before she slowly opened her eyes and looked around.

There was a man leaning against the door frame of her room, arms crossed and chart in hands, his glasses glinting in the fluorescent lighting.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat.

Yoshio Ootori, Kyoya's father. He gave a slight devious smile as he slowly closed the door.

"Welcome back, Miss Higurashi-Tashio. There's something I'd like to speak with you about."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Yay she's finally awake! But read carefully, this chapter jumps around a little bit. Also it's the longest chapter in the story (so far). What did you all think? Review please!**_


	32. Proposition

(Chapter 32)

"Kagome Higurashi- Tashio, 17 years old, born in November. From a poor shrine family originally and taken under the wing of your distant…" Yoshio trailed off as he glanced up at her, his glasses glinting in the hospital light as he clucked his tongue at her in distaste. " _Relatives._ "

Kagome looked down at her hands in the hospital bed.

"You befriended my son and his friends, wormed your way into his life, took him away from his studies-"

Kagome's eyes closed tightly before she interrupted him.

"How long was I unconscious?"

"Excuse me?"

She stared at him with finality, and even gave him a small glare. He sighed, turning a few pages on the chart he had in his hand.

"It is now March 5th, school will end in a few weeks." He said. Kagome's heart thudded in her chest as tears pricked her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand and nodded softly, her hair brushing her shoulders and her eyes widened.

"My hair was cut?" She stared at him, moving her hand from her mouth to her now shoulder length hair. Yoshio nodded.

"Yes, your guardians and mother gave us permission to cut your hair so it would help maintain and regulate your body temperature. There was a few times where your body got too hot and we couldn't understand why."

It shouldn't have upset her as much as it did- but it did.

Yoshio stared at her, dipping his head towards his chest he spoke up again.

"Miss Higuarshi, there's something you must understand." Yoshio said, and Kagome looked up at him. "You've been unconscious since before the New Year, which means that you've been in our care for about three months. Hospitals charge by the day- and I'm aware the Healthcare here covers most of the bill but the rest your distant relatives have been covering- and Miss Higurashi I can assure you that it isn't cheap."

Kagome instinctively shrunk back from him, although there was nowhere for her to go.

"What are you getting at?"

Yoshio sighed at last.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but Kyoya had already agreed to it if you did."

"Agreed to what?" Kagome stared at him suspiciously, her heart beat in her ears.

"If you agreed to marry my son, we could house you for free- your family wouldn't have to support the rest of your medical bills and any future ones you may have. You could stay here as long as you wish and recover fully, and your family wouldn't have to worry about the bills or paying the rest of them."

Her heart beat thundered her ears then, heat soaking her cheeks as her hands started to shake. The heart monitor next to her beeping louder by the minute. Yoshio held his hand up to the door to stop nurses from rushing through.

"M-marry Kyoya?" Kagome gasped out through her scratchy throat.

* * *

Sesshoumaru and Shippo canceled the rest of their meetings for that day, Saburo skipped out on the rest of school and Satoshi closed the shop early just so they all could come see Kagome after Yoshio called them himself to tell them he was pleased to announce that Kagome had woken up.

Kagome was red under their attention, embarrassed that she caused such a commotion. Sesshoumaru stared at her intently and for some reason she just couldn't meet his gaze.

Shippo dragged Satoshi and Saburo out of the room to find a gift for Kagome, leaving her and Sesshoumaru alone in the room.

It was silent for a while, the heart monitor being the only sound besides the air conditioning. Kagome rubbed her arms slowly, looking up to meet his gaze.

"We've been worried about you." Sesshoumaru said quietly, Kagome's eyes trailed back down to the hospital bed. She nodded slowly, biting her lip.

"I- I know. I'm sorry." She whispered, not having the strength to speak much louder than that.

"The older Suoh, Tamaki's father, he said that if you pass the end of the year test you are welcomed back next year with open arms, even if you're not strong enough to attend school with the rest of the students you will be given a tutor."

"How will I study for the test?" Kagome asked with wide eyes. Sesshoumaru gave her a slight smile and patted the top of her head.

"You'll be given a tutor for that too." Kagome nodded silently, wincing as she swallowed and it burned her throat. Sesshoumaru gave her a cup of water and she took it graciously, mumbling out a "thank you" as she did.

"Yoshio said that you will need physical and mental therapy for what happened," Sesshoumaru said, Kagome blinked up at him.

"When did you start calling him by his first name?"

Sesshoumaru's mouth twisted.

"Things change."

Kagome looked down at the white bed spread quickly then, a flash of the memory Sesshoumaru showing up in her unconscious state burning in her mind.

"Did… Did you visit me?" Kagome asked meekly, she watched from the corner of her eye as Sesshoumaru sat down in Kyoya's usual spot, his hands folded together.

"Yes." He said quietly, "We all did. Satoshi had been called overseas while you were out, but he visited before he left. Saburo hasn't quite been the same since you've been gone, he's more distracted- more depressed." Sesshoumaru stared off at the side for a moment before looking back up at her. "Shippo and Kyoya had gotten into a fight." Kagome stared at him wide eyed, her mouth open.

"Wh-what! Why?"

Sesshoumaru sighed then.

* * *

 _It was tense in the room. It was January, right after Kagome had been moved to the Ootori hospital and Shippo had burst in the hospital room without his human disguise. Sesshoumaru lacked most of his, except for the short black hair._

 _It was so late that all visitors had been kicked out by now- or so they thought._

 _But Shippo stared wide eyed at the youngest Ootori boy, he was sitting hunched over in a chair right next to her bed, his glasses discarded onto a nearby table. Tears streaked his cheeks as he looked up at them with anger and pain, his hands held out like they were supporting his head just minutes ago._

 _Shippo glared at him, his fists clenched and his teeth bared. Sesshoumaru reached out to grasp him but Shippo moved just out of his reach._

 _"What the hell are you doing here, Ootori!" Shippo yelled, landing a punch squarely on the back of the kids head. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a fraction as Kyoya fell to the floor, but soon he was back up and grabbing his glasses so he could see properly, glaring at them both._

 _"This is my family's hospital! She's my friend! I'm allowed to be here- what are you two doing here?!"_

 _"She's our family! She's hurt!" Shippo yelled back at him. Taking a step forward like he would tackle him. "You don't care about her- you're the reason she's like this anyways!" Sesshoumaru grabbed Shippo's wrist to hold him back but Shippo only tugged at it._

 _"I never asked for her to save my life!" Kyoya defended, his hand finding hers and giving it a squeeze._

 _Shippo's eyes widened, before narrowing dangerously._

 _"Let her go."_

 _"No. Never again." Kyoya held onto her tighter, and Shippo ripped his arm from Sesshoumaru's grip so tightly that Sesshoumaru stumbled forward before catching himself._

 _Shippo shoved Kyoya against the back wall, shaking the hanging ceiling light as he did so. Sesshoumaru closed the door and locked it, watching Shippo try to shove the Ootori boy through the wall._

 _"Shippo, he's a human. Be careful."_

 _"He's the reason she's like this, Sesshoumaru!" Shippo growled out, "How can you be so damn calm? He's the reason she went on that stupid trip! He's the reason that we could lose her again."_

 _Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he could smell tears, but they weren't coming from Kyoya._

 _"He's the reason I could lose my mother again! I can never forgive him for what's he's done to her!"_

 _"What I've done?!" Kyoya choked out, his nose bloody and his cheeks bruised as he looked at Shippo through one eye as the other was swollen already._

 _"You know what you've done! You've been playing her heart and making her fall for you just so you could marry her and get into our family! You had no interest in her before we claimed her as ours!" Shippo's hands found his neck. "You just want her so your family could have it in with ours, I know it! If your low-life father hadn't asked us to arrange your marriage I wouldn't have figured it out but I know-"_

 _"NO!" Kyoya yelled out (more like gasped out) past the hands at his throat. Sesshoumaru had placed a hand on Shippo's shoulders, and Shippo released him. They watched as the boy fell to the ground, coughing and gasping, rubbing his throat._

 _"It's not true." His shoulders were shaking, and soon tears were streaming down his cheeks again and falling onto the floor. "It's not true." He repeated, shaking his head slowly as his shoulders shook and hunched over. Kyoya's head touched the floor as he repeated it to himself a few more times._

 _Shippo moved to kick him in the side but Sesshoumaru had pinned his arms behind his back and dragged him away towards the door._

 _"I never wanted to hurt her!" Kyoya yelled suddenly, looking wide eyed and pleadingly up at them. Shippo froze in his spot and looked at the distressed boy on the floor, cowering and shaking._

 _"She didn't deserve this- she doesn't deserve this! She doesn't deserve me." He choked out, clenching his teeth._

 _"I love her." He said finally, "but after what happened I could never ask her to love me in return."_

 _Shippo's shoulders relaxed as he stared at the bleeding boy on the floor, who was shaking his head as his body was wracked with tremors. Shippo's eyes trailed to Kagome's sleeping form, and she looked so peaceful._

 _So peaceful…_

* * *

 ** _A/N: I couldn't wait to post this! Fresh off the editing page! (which is probably why I missed a couple things -sorry-). This took me an hour to plan, write out and edit all together! That's how excited I was! (especially since I should've waited until tomorrow to post it...)_**

 ** _Review please!_**


	33. I Have a Confession

(Chapter 33)

Kyoya stood at the back of the room while the other Host Club members surrounded her bed. He watched as Hunny and the Twins clambered on top of her bed and hugged her, crying and wailing as they told her they missed her. Tamaki was bawling his eyes out curled up in a ball on the ground near Mori's feet, and Mori was standing off to the side staring at her with a soft expression on his face.

Kyoya's heart was beating wildly in his chest, his heartbeat in his ears as he watched her. She looked a bit uncomfortable but gathered the three crying into her shoulders into her arms and repeated "Sorry" to them again and again. She looked shyly up at him, and his breath caught in his throat.

Her eyes seemed to glow but he knew that they weren't, either way they drew him in and he knew he wouldn't be able to let her go again.

Kagome ducked her head, her newly cut hair hiding her blushing face.

Kyoya couldn't help the relaxed smile he felt watching her and their friends interact.

He missed her so much.

* * *

She yawned every few minutes now, still very weak. Just because she woke up didn't mean she was alright to move around a lot. Whenever she laughed she grew increasingly tired right after, whenever she moved it became sluggish and slow. Kyoya managed to usher everyone out of the room so she could get her rest, and he was about to leave too when she grabbed his fingers as he was walking away from the side of her bed.

He looked at her with wide eyes and she gave the smallest of smiles as she tugged him down towards her. He leaned down carefully, and she reached up just enough to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Your father told me." Kagome said softly, Kyoya stared down at her with wide eyes behind his glasses, his fingers carefully brushing his cheek where she kissed him.

"He told you… what?" He asked.

Kagome gave him a smile even though her eyes were watering, she wasn't crying.

"He said that you had already agreed to the… Arranged marriage."

Kyoya's shoulders tensed when she said that, his cheeks burning as he quickly turned his head to the side to avoid looking at her. His eyes were screwed shut, his jaw was tense but he relaxed all too easily when she touched his hand again.

"Kyoya?"

"I, uh, I did." He said curtly, pushing his glasses farther up his face. Kagome stared at them intensely before blinking owlishly at him.

"Did you get new glasses?"

He blinked down at her, surprised before nodding slowly.

"Yes, after the… accident, my glasses had a crack in them so I had to get new ones." He worded carefully, but pain still shot across Kagome's features. She looked so sad.

"I'm so sorry that your glasses got broken." She said, Kyoya quickly fell to his knees, wincing on the inside as his knees connected harshly to the cold floor- but he couldn't let her see him cringe.

" _Please_ , Kagome." He gathered her hands in his and held them securely to his chest- so she could feel his heart beat. "If it wasn't for you- we wouldn't be here having this conversation." He told her quickly.

"Thank you so much for saving my life." He told her, Kagome's eyebrows drew together as she looked at him. She nodded slowly, softly pulling her hands away from his.

"I just couldn't let my friends die for me aga-" the words died on her lips and she began to shake violently, she shook her head softly and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms.

She looked at him, her eyes down casting before she took a deep breath once more.

"Your father and I talked, and he convinced me that an arrange marriage is best for all of us. We're already attracted to each other, we're wonderful friends, and we get along pretty great, too." She didn't look at him, and suddenly Kyoya's heart was beating quickly. "It'll help broaden not only his business but ours as well, and I…" she finally glanced at him, her cheeks tinging pink. "I L-love-"

* * *

If Sesshoumaru were a dragon he would be breathing smoke from his nose as he sat in his study, his eyes glaring down at the documents in front of him as Shippo took his anger out on his nearby sofa. Really, Sesshoumaru wasn't angry at Kagome's decision to go through with the arranged marriage- seeing as they wouldn't even be married until they're both finished with high school. She was a big girl, capable of making her own decisions.

No, Sesshoumaru was angry at the story she told him- about what _had happened_. No large, black animals should've been wandering around at the time when they fell off the road- so it didn't make _sense._ All the animals would've either been white or resting, and none up there big enough as Kagome had described this creature to be- _also the fact that she didn't even know what it was_.

No, this had supernatural written all over it, and Sesshoumaru was going to find out _why_.

Shippo, on the other hand, was absolutely, 175%, livid at the news that Kagome was going to marry _Kyoya_.

Sesshoumaru growled out, slamming his hands down on his desk and standing up quickly once Shippo tore open a cushion and feathers rained in the room.

" ** _ENOUGH!_** "

Shippo stared at Sesshoumaru wide eyed before frowning, flopping down on the floor and huffing. His cheeks in his hands as his fox tail thumped the ground in agitation.

"You're a grown demon! Why are you acting so childish over this?" Sesshoumaru demanded, Shippo threw a glare at Sesshoumaru from over his shoulder, pout firmly in place.

"You wouldn't understand!" Shippo complained loudly, his nose upturned.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow ticked in annoyance, the marks on his face going jagged.

"She's _my_ Mom! And I'm _NOT_ going to share her!"

* * *

 ** _A/N: Aww, kinda confession~ Also cute jealous Shippo having attachment issues and having problems letting his Momma go with another man ;3 I hope everyone's Valentines Day was filled with cute, fluffy stories and sweetness! Review please!_**


	34. Working on Better

(Chapter 34)

Kagome's body was wrecked with coughs, to the point where nurses were running in to check on her. Kyoya stood back and away from her bed, his eyes wide as she slowly was able to breathe right again. Her eyes were bloodshot and shining, and her face was deep red from the lack of air over those few short minutes.

She covered her face as one of the nurses gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and they made their way out of the room. Her shoulders shook as she continued to cover her face even well after the nurses had left.

Her back tensed when Kyoya touched her shoulder, and she peeked out at him from between her fingers. He smiled down at her, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, placing a chaste kiss to her temple.

"I know," he gave her a soft smile, holding her hand in his. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening to say something else but he beat her to it. "I love you too."

Her face grew even redder, and she held her breath. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded slowly.

"Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" His fingers intertwined with hers and she looked down at their joined hands. She gave a soft smile, still embarrassed as she nodded slowly again.

"Ok," she said softly, laying back down in her bed and pulling the cover of her hospital bed back up to her chin.

They sat in silence for a while, Kagome's breath becoming steadier even though she wasn't falling asleep.

"Kagome?" Kyoya whispered out, Kagome turned her head to look at him, her eyes becoming droopy. Kyoya reached a hand out and gently touched her cheek. "Thank you, for saving my life." She gave him a small smile, pushing her cheek harder into his hand and giving a soft sigh as she closed her eyes.

Kyoya stayed another 10 minutes after she fell asleep, thinking about all that had happened within the day.

* * *

"C-can we please rest a minute?" Kagome panted to her physical therapist, her tutor was also with them and she was having a hard time concentrating on the two things at once. The man who was in the pool with her nodded, setting her up with a flotation device so she could rest easier in the pool. Her tutor, which was a second year she didn't know personally named Umehito Nekozawa, was sitting at the side of the pool with his pants rolled up and his feet in the water.

"OK- Since you're taking a break from that lets get back to world history-"

"Noooooo" Kagome whined as her body floated towards him, he smirked and with his foot pushed on the side of her floaty which caused her to spin. Her physical therapist gave the boy a glare from the other side of the pool and the boy only held up his hands.

She sighed, staring at the boys black haired wig and dark cloak that had been discarded some time ago due to the dimming of the lights.

"The tests will be next week- we need to get this done-"

Kagome upturned her nose at him, looking over at her physical therapist. He jumped back into the pool and waded over to her, instructing her to try to move her legs.

Umehito stared curiously at the girl, wondering why Hachiro had wanted to tutor her so bad. For all that he could see and sense- there was nothing special about the girl. Sure she was pretty, but to his knowledge she and the Ootori boy had been engaged for a week now- so why would Hachiro, the other scholarship student, want with her?

* * *

Kyoya and Kagome sat in silence, he staring at her wide eyed and she tried to figure out how she would respond to his question.

 _"How were you able to save us?"_

Kagome swallowed thickly, she took a steadying breath.

"There's a few things you should know," she stared at him. He nodded, and became very serious as he leaned towards her- and suddenly he was the Kyoya she had known before, calculating, serious, and cold.

It was for the best, she decided.

"Firstly, my name is Kagome Higurashi, I'm 17 years old. Two years ago on my 15th birthday I fell into an old well. Secondly, my family isn't normal. Thirdly," she stared at him from the corner of her eye. "I'm the Shikon Miko, protector of the Shikon Jewel. Two years ago I found out I had powers that I couldn't control, and I almost died many times trying to make my mistake right."

Kyoya's eyebrows ticked as he stared at her, but- the pink shield she had put around them as they tumbled down the mountain, the reason why they were virtually unharmed while the driver was unconscious- the blast of power that saved them in the end (from the sinking car and hypothermia). He couldn't explain any of that, and it seemed like she wasn't the type to lie about it.

"I fought in wars you've never heard of, I've defeated enemies only told in stories- and you're probably thinking I hit my head."

He gave a nod of confirmation, and she sighed softly.

"The legends of demons are true," she turned her head to look back down at her bed. How long had she been awake now? Two weeks? Yeah, about two weeks now. "Almost all of our ancient legends and myths are true-"she looked to him wide eyed, "-and it's _amazing_. Being able to experience a world not our own."

Hours later Kyoya sat in Kagome's hospital room in contemplative silence, she had been asleep for about an hour now and their conversation hadn't progressed much after her explaining how wonderful the paranormal and supernatural world is compared to theirs. Of course he didn't believe her, but he wanted too.

She talked with such enthusiasm, the kind he hadn't seen from her for a while. So, if something brought her that much happiness- of course he wanted a part in it, he wanted to believe it-

But it was just _so farfetched_.

He still couldn't explain her power though, and he was a firsthand witness to that. Tamaki was too, but the bumbling idiot hadn't talked about the incident in a long time, preferring to live every day with an enthusiasm Kyoya was rather jealous of.

Kyoya gave a tired sigh, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. He put them on the table next to him and stared at his fiancée (17 and engaged already? He would've never thought his life would've turned out this way). She had changed since the accident, and so had he- he just hoped that they hadn't changed so much that now they wouldn't work well together.

She seemed… skittish now. Like she had to step on eggshells around them (him especially since they became engaged), and he didn't like it. He wanted her to be comfortable with him again, but he had immersed himself into his work- to the point where he couldn't even joke with Tamaki anymore without feeling guilty that he was there and she wasn't.

He stared at her, and wondered what he could do to fix them.

The door to her room opened, and Shippo stared at him tensely, Saburo and Satoshi trailing behind him.

"You look stressed," Saburo said, pushing past Shippo and coming up to the other student. Kyoya didn't give him a reaction, instead staring at Kagome.

"She said she was the Shikon Miko." Kyoya said quietly, but Shippo's eyes narrowed at him.

"Did she?" Satoshi asked, pushing pass his dad and joining Saburo next to the boy.

"She did. I was asking what happened, how she saved my life, she told me she was the Shikon Miko and had powers."

"Do you believe her?"

"I do, to an extent." He glanced up at them, Shippo glared at him from across the room. Kyoya sighed, his shoulders slumping as he rubbed his forehead. "I want too." He whispered hoarsely to them, but he didn't look at the others in the room. "She was so happy explaining this paranormal-supernatural world she could see and experience and-and I want to believe her, because it makes her so happy and I want to be a part of that, but I-"

"You're a man of science and facts," Saburo stated with a raised eyebrow, Kyoya looked up at him before nodding slowly.

"Yes. I love her, she'll be my wife in a few short years, and I want to make her happy. Ever since the accident and she woke up we've grown in different directions, I want to fix it- and first I think it should be by me believing her stories, but I just _can't_."

Saburo and Satoshi exchanged secret glances, giving each other grins.

"I think I can help you."

It was Shippo that spoke this time, but he didn't look happy at all.


	35. Mirrors

(Chapter 35)

The weather was fairly nice, it was warm and trees were starting to bloom. Saburo and Hachiro sat in the garden watching how Shippo and Sesshoumaru would introduce… themselves to Kyoya.

"How did you get Sesshoumaru to agree to it?" Hachiro asked, picking up a small strawberry from the bunch they had picked before coming out there. Saburo shrugged, glancing at the Naraku-look-alike from the corner of his eye.

"Kyoya's important to Kagome, and Kyoya wants to desperately understand her and in doing so he needs to understand her family- _us_." Saburo sighed, looking at the three men standing in the field not far from them. "Sesshoumaru is also starting to think that Kagome lost her powers _permanently_ , and if that's so then he wants Shippo to train Kyoya to protect her."

"Kagome lost her powers?" Hachiro looked wide eyes at Saburo, the strawberry in his hand falling onto the grass under them. Saburo nodded sadly.

"Yeah, I didn't believe him at first when he said that her scent changed, but I saw it for myself- she smells like a human now, there's no hint of that sweet spice that used to be lingering around her all the time that was her miko powers. She's a regular human, and we're not quite sure how she'll respond to that."

Hachiro looked to the ground in thought, frowning. Saburo glanced at him from the side before biting into another strawberry, smiling secretly to himself.

* * *

Her hair was wrapped up seeing as it was greasy and disgusting but she refused to have any of the nurses bathe her, she felt disgusting in her own skin but she wasn't strong enough to bathe herself- and she was too modest to let the nurses bathe her with her being awake (she didn't have a choice when she was in a coma).

She sighed as she looked down at her notes that Kyoya had given her a few days ago so she could prepare for the test that she will be taking. She was welcome to come to the school to take it in a private room, or she could take it there in her hospital room with a school official present at all times.

She just had to give her answer tomorrow, otherwise they would expect her at campus on testing day.

Kagome sighed, laying her notes on the hospital spread and looked outside to the large tree that was in the middle of the Hospital grounds. Her heart ached for the sight of her old Goshinbuku, wishing that she was home in the comforts of the smell of her mother's cooking, the sound of Souta's game station being played, and even listening to Grandpa's tall tale's that weren't so tall anymore.

But most importantly she wished that the gap that had been made between her and Kyoya would be fixed, sooner rather than later.

She missed him, she missed their tentative flirting attempts. She missed those shy smiles when either of them got embarrassed. She missed the fire.

Kagome sighed, ignoring her soon-to-be "father in-law" that stood in the doorway of her room, her charts in his hand held tightly.

"You have physical therapy tomorrow instead, since you'll be busy taking and _passing_ your tests."

She didn't look or answer him, instead lowering her head more, wishing he would go away faster.

* * *

Physical therapy was held once again in the pool and even though her strength wasn't coming back quickly, or completely, she was still strong enough to change in and out of her bathing suit and take a quick shower (finally). She was breathing heavily in front of the mirror in the changing room, a towel wrapped tightly around her body and her hair dripping wet from her just being in the shower.

Her breath was fogging up the glass up to just below her eyes, but she didn't have the strength just yet to put her clothes on. Her knees were shaking but she knew if she tried to move over to the bench she would fall (and how embarrassing would that be for her MALE nurse who escorted her today would come in and see her like that when she took longer than the last few times to come out?) She took a shuddering breath, her arms shaking from the strain of practically holding her up.

 _"Kagome…"_ she heard a voice whisper, it was so faint that she missed it at first, the blood in her ears louder than the voice was. But she heard it the second time.

She glanced up towards the mirror quickly, and noticed that her eyes weren't blue- but a deep, piercing, bone chilling, _red_. She couldn't see the bottom portion of her face since her breath fogged it up, but she could make out a jagged grin, definitely not hers seeing as she was grimacing from pain.

 _"You look so beautiful, weak and defeated."_

Kagome's chest constricted, her heart beating painfully in her chest as breathing became harder.

 _"But death is more becoming on you."_

Kagome's vision faded to black as her strength left her.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I've had a writer's block for this story sadly (as well as getting ready for a few big changes in my life). Sorry for the short chapter! Review please.**_


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